CUMMING, John (1830-1883)John Cumming of Darlington was among the
founders of Geelong College, as a member of the Corresponding Committee which undertook to support and promote the College to prospective students in 1861.
At the time of the College's founding in 1861 he was only about 31 years of age and considerably younger than most of his fellow supporters on the Corresponding Committee. His father, also John Cumming had amassed a huge fortune in Geelong, establishing the Cumming Brewery, later to become Volum's Brewery, and acquiring three large sheep runs including 'Stony Point', 'Mount Fyans' and 'Terinallum' by 1857. He died in 1858 leaving his John and his brother, Thomas Forrest, as heirs to his enormous land holdings of 110,00 acres. Terinallum was purchased from George Russell in 1857 following the sale of his brewery.
John Cumming, eldest son, was born at Aberdeen, Scotland on 4 August 1830 and came out to Van Diemen's Land with his parents John Cumming and Ann nee Forrest in 1830. He married Eliza nee Annand in 1851.
Their sons, John Cumming (1851-1901), Thomas Cumming (1858-1901, Francis Miller Cumming (1861-1905), Henry Leslie Cumming (1866-1929),
Ernest Alfred Cumming (1868-1937), and Henry Leslie Cumming (1866-1929), were all educated at Geelong College.
His death was noted by the Camperdown Chronicle newspaper in September 1883:
'On the 20th inst., at Millicent, Toorak, John Cumming, of Terinallum, Darlington.' The
Portland Guardian newspaper elaborated further:
'The Hon. John Cumming, of Terrinallum station, Darlington, died on Thursday at his residence, Toorak, after a lingering illness.
He was the brother of the Hon. T. F. Cumming, one of the present members of the Legislative Council, and for several years himself occupied a seat in that chamber as a representative of the South Western Province. He retired from politics about two years since.
Mr. John Cumming, like his brothers, was largely interested in squatting pursults in the Western district, and had acquired a high reputation as a breeder for the quality of his stock. This was shown at the recent sheep sales, when a ram bred by him fetched the enormous price of 350 guineas. He was (says the Telegraph) a staunch adherent of the Presbyterian Church.' Sources: Camperdown Chronicle 22 September 1883 p2; Portland Guardian 25 September 1883 p2. (NLA); Australian Dictionary of Biography Vol 3 1969.