Hovell, William Hilton (1786–1875)

English-born explorer in Australia who, with Hamilton Hume, travelled overland from Gunning, southwest of Sydney, to Port Phillip in 1824.

Hovell was born in Yarmouth, England. A mistake in his calculations on the expedition to Port Phillip led him to believe they had reached Westernport and that the hinterland was suitable for agriculture. Based on these reports a party, accompanied by Hovell, sailed south, but attempts to settle were abandoned when the error was realized.