Sir James Brown Patterson KCMG (18 November 1833[1] – 30 October 1895),[2] was an Australian politician who served as premier of Victoria from 1893 to 1894.

[1] After a few years as a digger and four as a farmer, he settled in Chewton, where he went into business as a butcher, later moving into real estate.

Patterson spoke for the business and middle classes who did not want increased taxation at a time of depressed trade.

In January 1893 Patterson moved a successful no-confidence motion in the Shiels government and became Premier.

Affairs drifted until August 1894, when Patterson in turn lost a confidence vote in the Assembly.