Background
Lyall was born in Foveran, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and the family emigrated to Tasmania when he was in his teens.
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William Lyall
Edit ProfileCareer
He moved to Melbourne 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 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. He returned to Australia in 1856 with stud Herefords, Cotswold sheep, hares, pheasants and partridges 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. A street in Cranbourne retains his name.
He held a number of public offices:
member and president of the Cranbourne Shire Council
first president of the Mornington Pastoral and Agricultural Society
represented Mornington in the Legislative Assembly
territorial magistrate.
Achievements
Membership
Lyall was also a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly 1859–1861. Member of the National Agricultural Society.
