William Lyall was a Melbourne pastoralist who established a hunting lodge at Tooradin south east of Cranbourne

Cranbourne, Victoria

Cranbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Cranbourne had a population of 14,750....

 in the 1870s and became a councillor on the shire in the 1880s. A street in Cranbourne retains his name.

Lyall was born in Foveran

Foveran

Foveran is the name of both a parish and village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village is located 11 miles north of Aberdeen and 4 miles south-east of Ellon; the main group of houses and the village school are located adjacent to the main A90 trunk road. The hereditary baronetcy of Foveran is...

, Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 in 1821, and the family emigrated to Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

 when he was in his teens. He moved to Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 in 1847 and started a business, later joining with two others to form the firm of Mickle, Bakewell & Lyall.

Lyall married Annabella Brown (born in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 in 1827) on 29 January 1849, and they lived at Tooradin station until 1854, when he took his family to Britain and started his study of agricultural chemistry

Agricultural chemistry

Agricultural chemistry is the study of both chemistry and biochemistry which are important in agricultural production, the processing of raw products into foods and beverages, and in environmental monitoring and remediation...

. He returned to Australia in 1856 with stud Herefords, Cotswold sheep

Cotswold sheep

Cotswold sheep are a breed of domestic sheep originating in the Cotswold hills of the southern midlands of England. It is a dual-use breed providing both meat and wool...

, hare

Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...

s, pheasant

Pheasant

Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...

s and partridge

Partridge

Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...

s and gained a reputation as a stock breeder and was successful at shows. He pursued practical and adventurous farming practices, and also held a number of public offices.

Lyall died at Harewood on 20 January 1888 and was buried in Cranbourne cemetery.

Public offices

He held a number of public offices:

• member and president of the Cranbourne Shire Council
• first president of the Mornington Pastoral and Agricultural Society
• founder of the Victorian Agricultural Society, Zoological Society, Acclimatisation Society and Victoria Racing Club
• member of the National Agricultural Society
• represented Mornington in the Legislative Assembly
• territorial magistrate