William Cross Yuille
Encyclopedia
William Cross Yuille was an Australia
n pastoralist who helped establish the horse racing
industry in Victoria, Australia. The city of Ballarat, Victoria
was founded around his stock station.
on 28 March 1819 in Glasgow
, Scotland
.
William Cross Yuille was educated in Glasgow
and was apprenticed for three years in the West India house of Messrs Ewing and Co. of Glasgow. He sailed from Liverpool
on 23 August 1836 aged 17 on the "Statesman" (345 tons), commanded by Captain Rowlett. The Ship landed in Hobart
Town, Van Diemens Land on 9 December 1836. At that time there were glowing accounts of the new settlement of Port Phillip District
that were engaging to the attention of the Pastoralists of Van Diemens Land and William Cross, fired by his pioneer spirit and his youth, decided to cross to the ‘land of promise’.
WC Yuille sailed on the vessel 'Rajah'and landed at Point Henry, near Geelong on 27 February 1837with the intention of joining his cousin Archibald Buchanan Yuille. He and his cousin Archibald purchased 2200 well bred Merino
sheep from Peter Murdoch, shipped them in the "John Dunscombe" in February 1837. Later in June 1837 there was an attack on the Yuille’s station by the Aborigines. William took possession of a run at Murgheboluc on the Barwon River
near Inverleigh and in January 1838, a small party made up of John Aitken, Henry Anderson, Thomas, Somerville, Learmonth and Yuille struck out North to search for J.T.Gellibrand and G.B.L.Hesse who had been lost in the bush and to search for new squatting lands. When they found Gellibrand and Hesse they had been murdered by the blacks. If they had received a Squatters License it may have come from Foster Fyans who was the Police Magistrate sent to the area by the request of the Cousins and other Squatters concerned with the troublesome natives.
Yuille settled south of Black Swamp in the area which was to become part of the gold rush settlement of Ballarat in 1838 and two years later, having sold his station there, went to New Zealand, where he was present at the ceremony of taking possession of those islands for the British Government by Governor Hobson, and the signing of the treaty of Waitangi
. Returning to Victoria Mr. Yuille embarked in squatting at Rockbank
, on the Werribee Plain
, occupying the country from within a few miles of Williamstown
to Mount Cotterell. There he owned and trained a number of successful performers on the Victorian turf, and after revisiting England several times, where he made fresh purchases, he settled in Williamstown in 1885, and reared numerous winners in his stables. Mr. Yuille was for many years one of the foremost men on the Victorian turf, being one of the stewards of the Jockey Club, handicapper to the Victoria Racing Club, and one of the leading members of Tattersall's committee, until his retirement in 1881. For six years he contributed to the Australasian under the soubriquet "Peeping Tom," and is the compiler of the "Australian Stud Book," which is recognised as the standard work of reference throughout the Australasian Colonies.
He married Marry Denny in Victoria on 7 July 1842.
was for some time known as "Yuille's Swamp". Several streets are named after him including streets in Ballarat, Melton
, Buninyong, Geelong West, Brighton
. Yuille Primary School in Wendouree
is also named after him.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pastoralist who helped establish the horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
industry in Victoria, Australia. The city of Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
was founded around his stock station.
Life
Yuille was baptisedBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
on 28 March 1819 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...
, 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...
.
William Cross Yuille was educated 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...
and was apprenticed for three years in the West India house of Messrs Ewing and Co. of Glasgow. He sailed from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 23 August 1836 aged 17 on the "Statesman" (345 tons), commanded by Captain Rowlett. The Ship landed in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
Town, Van Diemens Land on 9 December 1836. At that time there were glowing accounts of the new settlement of Port Phillip District
Port Phillip District
The Port Phillip District was an historical administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales, existing from September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria....
that were engaging to the attention of the Pastoralists of Van Diemens Land and William Cross, fired by his pioneer spirit and his youth, decided to cross to the ‘land of promise’.
WC Yuille sailed on the vessel 'Rajah'and landed at Point Henry, near Geelong on 27 February 1837with the intention of joining his cousin Archibald Buchanan Yuille. He and his cousin Archibald purchased 2200 well bred Merino
Merino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
sheep from Peter Murdoch, shipped them in the "John Dunscombe" in February 1837. Later in June 1837 there was an attack on the Yuille’s station by the Aborigines. William took possession of a run at Murgheboluc on the Barwon River
Barwon River (Victoria)
The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...
near Inverleigh and in January 1838, a small party made up of John Aitken, Henry Anderson, Thomas, Somerville, Learmonth and Yuille struck out North to search for J.T.Gellibrand and G.B.L.Hesse who had been lost in the bush and to search for new squatting lands. When they found Gellibrand and Hesse they had been murdered by the blacks. If they had received a Squatters License it may have come from Foster Fyans who was the Police Magistrate sent to the area by the request of the Cousins and other Squatters concerned with the troublesome natives.
Yuille settled south of Black Swamp in the area which was to become part of the gold rush settlement of Ballarat in 1838 and two years later, having sold his station there, went to New Zealand, where he was present at the ceremony of taking possession of those islands for the British Government by Governor Hobson, and the signing of the treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
. Returning to Victoria Mr. Yuille embarked in squatting at Rockbank
Rockbank, Victoria
Rockbank is a township and rural locality in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 29 km west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton. At the 2006 Census, Rockbank had a population of 1,337....
, on the Werribee Plain
Werribee Plain
The Werribee Plain is an extensive low-lying area of flat land located WSW of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The plains are notable for their extensive, flat, featureless spans, interspersed by the occasional vertical feature, such as the You Yangs, a series of granite ridges, and several small...
, occupying the country from within a few miles of Williamstown
Williamstown, Victoria
Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....
to Mount Cotterell. There he owned and trained a number of successful performers on the Victorian turf, and after revisiting England several times, where he made fresh purchases, he settled in Williamstown in 1885, and reared numerous winners in his stables. Mr. Yuille was for many years one of the foremost men on the Victorian turf, being one of the stewards of the Jockey Club, handicapper to the Victoria Racing Club, and one of the leading members of Tattersall's committee, until his retirement in 1881. For six years he contributed to the Australasian under the soubriquet "Peeping Tom," and is the compiler of the "Australian Stud Book," which is recognised as the standard work of reference throughout the Australasian Colonies.
He married Marry Denny in Victoria on 7 July 1842.
Legacy
Lake WendoureeLake Wendouree
Lake Wendouree is an artificially-created and maintained shallow urban lake located in the suburb of the same name in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia...
was for some time known as "Yuille's Swamp". Several streets are named after him including streets in Ballarat, Melton
Melton, Victoria
Melton is an outer-suburban city of Melbourne Victoria, Australia located 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Melton Local Government Area. At the 2006 Census, the Shire of Melton had a population of 35,490...
, Buninyong, Geelong West, Brighton
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
. Yuille Primary School in Wendouree
Wendouree, Victoria
Wendouree is a large suburb on the north western rural-urban fringe of the City of Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia. It is the most populated suburb in urban Ballarat with a total of 10,752 inhabitants counted at the 2006 Census....
is also named after him.