Reymond, Joseph Bernard, 1834 – 1918

Joseph Bernard Reymond (1834-1918), miller and parliamentarian, was born at Chabaud, France, son of Etienne Bernard Reymond and his wife Elizabeth, nee Rond. While working at the College of Gap teaching English Reymond met Augustus Nicolas and the pair went to Paris and London before travelling to Australia, arriving at Melbourne in 1857. They began as prospectors on the Victorian goldfields before moving to the Lachlan River in NSW and settling at Forbes in 1862.

Nicolas and Reymond established a partnership as sawmillers and general merchants and then built a flour-mill. In 1866 Reymond took up a 300 acre selection on the Lachlan which he called 'Champsaur'. He established a vineyard and in 1886 began commercial production of wine.

Between 1875 and 1884 Reymond was an alderman of the Forbes Municipal Council and was mayor from 1884 to 1884. Reymond's business partnership with Nicolas was dissolved in 1901 and he continued business as J.B. Reymond and Sons Pty Ltd. Reymond was elected a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of Ashburnham (1895-1904) and was the first French born member of the NSW parliament. [ref:ADB 6]