Francis Ormond (23 November 1827 – 5 May 1889) was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist, member of the Parliament of Victoria and philanthropist in the areas of education and religion.

[3][4] He was educated at the Tyzack's Academy in Liverpool, England,[1][2][4] after his father moved his family to the major shipping city to further his career, circa 1835.

Ormond's father adopted an early interest in Britain's southern colonies, which came from stories he heard of the expedition of Hume and Hovel and of Australia Felix.

[3] In command of the merchant vessel John Bull, Captain Ormond was the first to transport British settlers to the newly founded settlement of Melbourne – in the south-east of the Colony of New South Wales – arriving in the bay of Port Phillip in 1840.

[3] Discouraged by the economic state of the Port Phillip District, the Ormonds then sailed to the Colony of New Zealand, after hearing positive reports about the islands.

[5] His father unsure of what to do, Ormond accompanied him to meet with a former passenger of the John Bull who counselled them and suggested they return to the Port Phillip District.

[4] The younger Ormond worked as a book keeper at his father's inn, who had intended for him to later train in commerce in the counting house of a merchant in Geelong.

[1][2] However, in 1847 Captain Ormond was presented with the opportunity to purchase the small sheep station Mopiamnum near Piggoreet, south-west of Ballarat, for a considerably low price.

[1] The land of Mopiamnum was poor, and much of it was covered with thick scrub which made it very difficult for him to maintain the flock of sheep, in addition to constant attacks by dingoes which inhabited the scrubland.

He paid his father for Mopiamnum in full and purchased the 30,000 acre (121,405,692 m2) station Borriyalloak near Skipton, east of Piggoreet, along with its flocks of merino sheep.

[8] With his financial position assured, on 23 November 1851 (his 24th birthday) he married Ann Greeves, the daughter of a distinguished doctor in the district, at the Christ Church in Geelong.

[2][8] In 1853, Ormond was made a territorial magistrate, and regularly sat on the Common Bench of towns close to Borriyalloak at Skipton, Linton, Carngham and Chepstowe.

[9] He persevered in 1857, when a small brick church was constructed in the town and a minister finally consigned to the newly devised Parish of Mount Emu Creek/Skipton.

After reading that the man had been sentenced to death by hanging, to take place in two days, he ordered his best horses to be saddled and hastily made the long and difficult journey to the city.

[2][10] Ormond rode all night and the following day, crossing bridgeless and flooded rivers, to arrive in Melbourne on the evening before the hanging was to take place.

When he eventually yielded and went through the documentation, sighting the grave miscarriage of justice, he immediately postponed the hanging pending a full investigation.

[2][10] As his wealth grew, Ormond continued to take an interest in education and even established a school on his station for the children of his employees.

His late wife was a member of the Church of England and, in memoriam, he anonymously donated £5,000 towards the construction of St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne.

One result of this was his conviction that a working men's college would serve a very useful purpose, and he intimated that if the government would provide a site he would give £5000 towards the building.

On his fifth visit to Europe Ormond had a rapid physical breakdown ascribed to overwork and died at Pau, South France, on 5 May 1889.

His body was sent to Melbourne and after a service at Scots Church and a large procession to Spencer Street was taken by train to Geelong where he was buried on 7 September.