John Pascoe Fawkner was born in London and transported to Australia with his convict father in 1792. Settling in Sullivan Beach, near Sorrento, the convict party included the now famous William Buckley. Fawkner later married Eliza Cobb and moved to Launceston, Tasmania.

Fawkner returned to the mainland in 1835 aboard the Enterprize. He settled in the area around what is now William St and began the business of settling the area. While John Batman settled the northern areas of Melbourne, Fawkner settled the south. He opened Melbourne's first hotel and started newspapers Port Phillip Patriot and Melbourne Advertiser. Fawkner also owned a large area of land in Coburg and a town house in Collingwood.

In 1851 Fawkner was elected to the first Legislative Council of the Port Phillip District and in 1856 elected to Victoria's first self governing Parliament.

Fawkner died in 1869 and an alleged 15,000 people lined the streets on the day of his funeral.