LEARMONTH-LERMONTOV. A HYISTORY OF THE NAME AND FAMILIES

Other notable Learmonths who came and settled in
Australia.
Learmonth, William (1815-1889) and Peter (1821-
1893), pastoralists, were born in Scotland, the second and
fourth sons of John Learmonth, army contractor, and his wife
Margaret, née Watson. William, born on 31st January 1815,
was educated at the High School in Edinburgh and in 1834
arrived at Van Diemen's Land in the Tamar. At first engaged
to a firm of solicitors, he turned to pastoral pursuits and
developed Williamswood, a property near Evandale. By 1839
he had 14,000 sheep. Hard hit by the prevailing depression he
visited Portland, Port Phillip District, in 1842 and, encouraged
by an advertisement of cattle for sale at Port Fairy, left
Tasmania in August 1844. He bought many cattle and decided
to take up a run at Darlot's Creek despite warnings about
hostile Aboriginals. He took up 39,000 acres (15,783 ha) near
Portland and held the first license for the property which he
renamed Ettrick. In September 1845 he was joined by his wife
Mary, née Ralston, whom he had married in April 1837, and
their three children. He was then investing in sheep and by
December had begun to pay off his debts. Although the
commissioner of crown lands, F. Fyans, urged him to
withdraw because of troublesome Aboriginals, Learmonth
stayed on. He prospered and was able to invest in several other
runs. Ettrick became one of the best stations in the district and
he held it until 1880.
In 1854-1863 William Learmonth lived in Portland,
where he was partner of S. G. Henty in a mercantile business;
they also held a 15,000 acre (6070 ha) run near Hamilton.
Learmonth was first mayor of the Portland Borough Council
in 1863 and for years served on it and the Shire Council of
which he was president many times. He also stood for the
Legislative Council but without success. He was an enthusiast
for the Volunteer Movement in which he became colonel. He
was a keen sportsman and race-horse owner. He died at Ettrick
on 7 July 1889, survived by his widow and three children.
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Peter Learmonth was born on 9 February 1821 and
worked on an uncle's farm until at 19 he decided to join his
brother William in Tasmania. He worked on William's
property near Evandale for two years and then started a sheep
station on Tasman Peninsula. In 1848 he made a fruitless visit
to the California goldfields but in 1851 gold again attracted
him and he was successful at Forest Creek, near Castlemaine.
He then decided to raise livestock and managed Francis
Henty's Merino Downs station. In 1859 Learmonth turned to
flour-milling, building or buying mills at Prestonholme, near
Hamilton, and at Sandford, Byaduk and Penshurst. He also
bought land at Prestonholme and Dunkeld for his merino flock
and established a wool and finance business, P. Learmonth &
Co., in Hamilton. His last big investment was to buy a third
interest in the Nacimiento estate, Mexico, where he later gave
his share of 82,000 acres (33,184 ha) to two of his sons. A
practical citizen, he was an early member of Dundas Shire
Council and often its president. He helped to establish the
Hamilton Hospital and presided over its committee for years.
He also raised capital for founding Hamilton College and
Alexandra Ladies' College. He worked hard for temperance
and helped to bring railway communication to the district. He
died at Prestonholme on 19 July 1893, leaving an estate worth
£54,000 and was survived by his wife Mary Jarvey (d.1913),
daughter of John Pearson, whom he had married on 18
December 1854; they had seven sons and three daughters.
William's eldest son, John Ralston (1838-1911), was
born in Tasmania and educated by his parents at Ettrick. In
1855-56 he worked for the Bank of Australasia at Portland.
From 1857 he managed some of his father's properties,
becoming owner of Ellangowan station adjoining Ettrick. He
was active in municipal affairs, became a Justice of the Peace
in 1861 and was thrice president and eighteen years a member
of the Minhamite Shire Council. He also gave long service as
a Portland shire councillor. A crack shot, he was prominent as
well in horse-racing and for years was a breeder, owner and
judge at Hamilton and the Melbourne Show. He died at
Ellangowan on 11 August 1911. He was survived by his wife
Mary Jane Marshall, née Fulford, whom he had married in
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