James Larmer (c. 1808 – 4 May 1869) was a British‑born surveyor who served in the colonial government of New South Wales, Australia. After emigrating to the colony, he joined the Surveyor‑General’s Department in the early 1830s and worked under Surveyor‑General Sir Thomas Mitchell.
Larmer is noted for his extensive field surveys in the northern coastal regions of New South Wales, including the Richmond River and Clarence River districts. His work contributed to the planning and establishment of several settlements, most notably the town of Grafton, and facilitated the development of roads and land‑allocation schemes that supported European expansion into the area.
In the later part of his career, Larmer held the position of senior surveyor, overseeing a team that produced detailed maps and cadastral records for the expanding colony. He retired from public service shortly before his death in Sydney in 1869.
Larmer’s surveys are referenced in historical land‑grant documents and early maps of New South Wales, and his contributions are recognized in the context of 19th‑century Australian colonial surveying.