Ernest de Little

Ernest de Little
Born	Melbourne, Australia
Died	October 1, 1926(1926-10-01) (aged 58) Caramut, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)	Cricketer, pastoralist, polo player, racehorse breeder
Known for	First-class cricket for Cambridge University, pastoralism in Victoria

Ernest Robert de Little (19 June 1868 – 1 October 1926) was an Australian cricketer at the first-class level and a prominent pastoralist.

De Little was born in Melbourne, the son of Henry de Little, an early settler in Victoria's Western District. His education began at Geelong Grammar School, followed by two years spent traveling abroad. Subsequently, he enrolled at Jesus College, Cambridge. During his time at Cambridge, he represented the Cambridge University Cricket Club in nine first-class fixtures between 1888 and 1889. As a right-arm fast bowler, he claimed 27 wickets with an average of 20.29, including two instances of taking five wickets in an innings and one match where he took ten wickets overall, his best bowling figures being 7 for 27. Notably, he was the first student from a Victorian public school to be awarded a Cambridge Blue for cricket. In 1890, de Little joined George Vernon's touring side to British India—the inaugural English cricket team to visit the country—although no matches on that tour were classified as first-class.

Following his graduation, de Little returned to Australia to oversee pastoral operations on his late father’s Caramut estate in Victoria. After Henry de Little passed away in 1871, the property remained in trust until it was divided between Ernest and his elder brother Henry in 1890; Ernest was allotted 8,000 acres. He subsequently sold a portion of this land to his brother and acquired the Barwidgee Estate, spanning 9,600 acres, which he found easier to manage. In addition, he purchased another estate located at Port Fairy. Both properties were dedicated to producing premium wool. Beyond his pastoral pursuits, de Little gained recognition as an accomplished polo player and a breeder of ponies, having developed several successful race ponies. He passed away at Caramut in October 1926, leaving behind his wife Ethel and their son.