Boyd, Benjamin (1803?-1851), was a Scottish pioneer and adventurer who gained fame for his business schemes during the early part of the development of Australia. He was born in Wigtonshire, Scotland. In 1840, Boyd founded the Royal Bank of Australia, and, as the bank's representative, he landed in Sydney in 1842. Boyd immediately invested the bank's money. By 1844, he was one of the largest settlers and traders in the colony. He built his own port, called Boyd Town or Boydtown, on Twofold Bay, to ship wool from his properties in the Monaro district. He also set up a whaling station there, see Whale. His ventures lost a lot of money and, in 1847, the shareholders forced him out. In 1849, Boyd left Australia and went to California in the United States, where he prospected for gold without success. On Oct. 15, 1851, he disappeared in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.