Author(s): Max Griffiths

General

Francis Ormond was a Scottish born pastoralist, member of Parliament of Victoria, and great philanthropist in the areas of education and religion. He used his wealth to benefit others. As a young man he managed his father's sheep station near Piggoreet, south west of Ballarat. Upon discovering that the majority station hands he employed were uneducated, he started a class for his employees, devoting nearly every evening to their tutorage. This is the story of his life and times. His legacy includes the Ormond Chair of Music at the University of Melbourne, Ormond Hall at the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, RMIT's Francis Ormond Building, Ormond College at the University of Melbourne, Ormond Road in Geelong, the Francis Ormond Mason Lodge and the Melbourne suburb of Ormond.