John Brown

John Brown (c. 1801 – 17 August 1879, Adelaide) was an English colonist from London involved in the establishment of the British colony of South Australia.

John was the son of Samuel Brown and Maria Josepha Robinson. He was educated for three years at Mill Hill School and subsequently became a vintner at St Mary-at-Hill. However, after his business failed he became interested in plans to colonise South Australia. He worked with both Thomas Binney and Barzillai Quaife on distinct plans to create the colony on dissenting principles.

It is likely, but by no means certain, that he was the John Brown Esq. who was member of the panel, with John H. Barrow, John Howard Clark, A. Forster, W. A. Wearing, and E. J. Peake. that selected Caroline Carleton's Song of Australia for the Gawler Institute prize in 1859.