William Hemmant (24 November 1837 – 20 September 1916) was a British-Australian politician who served in the

Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembl ...

from 1871 to 1876. Hemmant was born in Kirkgate, Yorkshire, England, to Thomas and Isabella (née Richmond) on 24 November 1837. He worked as a draper in London before moving in 1859 to

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, where he worked as miner during the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

. He moved to

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

the following year, where he established a drapery shop with Alexander Stewart. The Great Fire of Brisbane in 1864 was said by some to have started in the Stewart and Hemmant shop, and the two gave evidence during a colonial inquiry into the fire. Nonetheless, the two built a successful department store and clothing manufactury. He travelled to England to marry Lucy Ground on 20 September 1866, and returned to Brisbane early the next year. In 1869 he built Eldernell House (named for a settlement in Cambridgeshire, near his wife's birthplace) which is now the home of the

Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane The Archbishop of Brisbane is the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Australia, and '' ex officio'' metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan ...

StateLibQld 1 119092 Brisbane mansion, Eldernell in the suburb of Hamilton

Hemmant was a director of the Australian Bank of Commerce and an alderman on the

Brisbane City Council Brisbane City Council (BCC) is the democratic executive local government authority for the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The largest City Council in Australia by population and area, BCC's jurisd ...

. He won the seat of East Moreton in the Legislative Assembly in 1871, and successfully contested

Bulimba Bulimba is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Bulimba had a population of 6,843 people. Geography Bulimba is located north-east of the CBD on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, but it is by road. Topo ...

in 1873. He served as Colonial Treasurer from 1874 to 1876. He is credited with producing four badges as candidates for the

Flag of Queensland The state flag of Queensland is a British Blue Ensign with the state badge on a white disc added in the fly. The badge is a light blue Maltese Cross with a Saint Edward's Crown in the centre of the cross. The flag dates from 1876, with minor v ...

, from which the current badge, a crowned Maltese cross, was chosen. After he left politics in 1876, he returned to England with his family, settling in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. He built a house called Bulimba in

Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506 situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parishes in England, civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter South Eastern Main Line, main line railway into Lon ...

. Hemmant and Lucy had 10 children, one of whom was colonial administrator George Hemmant. William Hemmant died on 20 September 1916, his 50th wedding anniversary.

Legacy

The south Brisbane suburb of

Hemmant Hemmant is a suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Hemmant had a population of 2,385 people. Geography Hemmant is by road east of the Brisbane CBD. Hemmant is bounded by the Brisbane River to the north and Bulimba ...

is named after him.

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hemmant, William Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Treasurers of Queensland 1837 births 1916 deaths

Legacy

Sources

See also

References