William Murray Ross

Who was William Murray Ross?

William Murray Ross was an entrepreneur best remembered for his failed "Rosstown Railway" in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The railway was part of a larger "Rosstown Project" which also included a sugar beet processing mill and residential estate. Parts of the rail line easement have been preserved as the Rosstown Railway Heritage Trail.

Ross was born in Liverpool, England, arriving in Melbourne in 1852.

In 1875, he launched his new suburb of Rosstown, running this advertisement in the Argus:

THE NEW SUBURB of ROSSTOWN SHIRE of CAULFIELD.

MURRAY ROSS Has CONVERTED his ESTATE into a TOWNSHIP.

High land, with beautiful sea views for dwellings. Excellent metalled roads. Distance from Elsternwick Railway Station, commencing at 1½ miles. Threepenny omnibus fares from Elsternwick Station.

Free passes by the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway for 10 years for houses costing £1000, and for shorter periods for smaller houses. Two express trains in the morning and two in the evening, only 12 minutes from town. A new line of railway—the Rosstown Junction— to be made from Elsternwick to the sugar-works, to have three stations in this suburb.

Price of land one-half to one-fourth the price in other suburbs, viz. from £50 to £100 per acre Purchasing the land without capital on long timo payments, repayable over 6, 8, 10 or 12 years, in fortnightly, quarterly, &c. payments. Three-fourths advanced of the cost of building large houses, and about one-half for cottages, repayable as in the case of the land. Sums advanced up to £2000, or more, for a gentleman's residence, £200, or more, for a workman's or gardener's cottage. Three-acre blocks for gentlemen's houses. One-acre blocks for worbmen's cottages.