Charles Ebden

Woodblock print of Ebden, produced shortly after his death, based on an earlier photograph.

Charles Hotson Ebden (1811 – 28 October 1867) was an Australian pastoralist and politician, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, the Victorian Legislative Council and the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He was educated in England and also in Karlsruhe in the German Confederation. He established a run at Tarcutta Creek, before his stockman, William Wyse, commenced two more runs straddling the Murray River: Mungabareena, near what is now Albury, and Bonegilla, near what is now Bonegilla, making Ebden the first pastoralist to send cattle across the Murray River. The Ovens River was in flood during Bonney's first attempt, and he was unable to find a way across, but a second attempt was commenced on 25 December 1836.

Ebden then shifted 9000 of the sheep to the second settlement in inland Victoria, Carlsruhe, arriving there on 26 May 1837. Charles Bonney in turn drove 1000 of the sheep to Kilmore and set up the third settlement in inland Victoria, another sheep station, on about 17 June 1837. Kilmore rapidly became the first inland town in Victoria.

Ebden's his flock was estimated to consist of nine thousand sheep, suggesting the backing of capital of about £20,000. He was in Melbourne in the middle of the year in time for the first land sale, held on 1 June 1837, at which one hundred lots of just under each were auctioned, the lots covered eight major blocks, bounded by Flinders, Bourke, King and Swanston streets. At the first elections on 1 June 1843, Ebden was comfortably elected as one of the five, with the most votes of any Port Phillip candidate. Ebden was nevertheless elected for a third time on 1 June 1850, and remained a member until the separation of Port Phillip District from New South Wales to form the new Colony of Victoria on 1 July 1851. At one point Ebden rented the house for six months to the Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly.

Ebden was aligned with Premier William Nicholson following the 1859 election, but declined to join Nicholson's ministry on the basis that his perceived views on land reform would jeopardise the passage of Nicholson's land reform legislation (which ultimately became the Land Act 1860). However, they provided Heales with little real support, and indeed Ebden resigned from the Legislative Assembly in May 1861 and returned to England.

Late life and legacy Ebden remained in England for the next five years, but was in poor health for much of that time, suffering asthma. He became healthier upon his return to Victoria, but at the Melbourne Club on 28 October 1867 he died. He left his estate, worth approximately £100,000, to his wife and his children.