William Hemmant
William Hemmant was a British-Australian politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1871 to 1876.
Hemmant was born in Kirkgate, Yorkshire, England, to Thomas and Isabella on 24 November 1837. He worked as a draper in London before moving in 1859 to Ballarat, Victoria, where he worked as miner during the gold rush. He moved to Brisbane the following year, where he established a drapery shop with Alexander Stewart. The Great Fire of Brisbane in 1864 was said by some to have started in the Stewart and Hemmant shop, and the two gave evidence during a colonial inquiry into the fire. Nonetheless, the two built a successful department store and clothing manufactury.
He travelled to England to marry Lucy Ground on 20 September 1866, and returned to Brisbane early the next year. In 1869 he built Eldernell House which is now the home of the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.