William Rutledge

[2] He purchased several lots at the early Melbourne land sales and commenced a partnership with Benjamin Baxter, financing him to build cottages in the Port Phillip area at £650 each.

[2] At Kilmore Rutledge established a tenant community on a special survey, and although he never took it up he became known as the town's founder and gave land for a Roman Catholic church.

[2] In fact all of Charles Bonney, later a famous explorer of South Australia, Dr Richard Julian Hamlyn and the partners Frederick Armand Powlett and John Green preceded Rutledge at Kilmore.

[2] On 15 September 1851 Rutledge was elected member for Villiers and Heytesbury in the Victorian Legislative Council[4] He was sworn-in November 1851 and held the seat until March 1854.

[1] Rutledge was elected to the first Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Electoral district of Villiers and Heytesbury in November 1856, a seat he held until August 1859.