Boyle Travers Finniss (18 August 1807 – 24 December 1893) was the first premier of South Australia, serving from 24 October 1856 to 20 August 1857.

Finniss was born at sea off the Cape of Good Hope, Southern Africa, and lived in Madras, British India. He was sent to Greenwich, England, for his education, and then entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, placing first of sixteen candidates at the entrance examination. In 1825, he became an ensign in the 88th Regiment of Foot, was promoted lieutenant in 1827 to the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot, and then spent three years in Mauritius in the department of roads and bridges.

In 1835, Finniss sold off his commission and, having been appointed assistant surveyor under surveyor-general Colonel William Light, arrived in South Australia in September 1836. He supported Light's choice of the site of Adelaide and assisted in laying out the city. His correspondence during those early years shows him to have been a man of good judgement and he was an able assistant during the surveys.

Finniss joined Light in a private surveying firm, Light, Finniss & Co. While in private enterprise, Light and Finniss surveyed several towns, including Glenelg and Gawler. Finniss also had several other business interests, but they eventually all failed, and he returned to the public service.

In 1839, Finniss was appointed deputy surveyor-general. In 1843, he became Commissioner of the South Australia Police and a police magistrate. In 1847, he was made Treasurer of South Australia and registrar general. In 1851, was nominated to the South Australian Legislative Council by the governor, Sir Henry Young.

In 1852, Finniss was appointed Colonial Secretary of South Australia and, in July 1853, had charge of the bill to provide for two chambers in the new South Australian parliament. In the interim between the departure of Governor Young in December 1854 and the arrival of Sir Richard Graves McDonnell in June 1855, Finniss acted as administrator of the colony. The bill of 1853 was rejected by the British government, and a new bill was drafted in 1855, providing for two purely elective houses. That received the royal assent in 1856.

Finniss was elected as one of the representatives for the city of Adelaide and became the first premier and Chief Secretary of South Australia. There were early difficulties between the two houses but Finniss, during the four months his ministry was in power, succeeded in passing measures to deal with waterworks for Adelaide and commence the first railway in South Australia. From June 1858 to May 1860, he was treasurer in the Richard Hanson ministry and, at the 1860 election, he was, with John Dunn, elected as one of the two representatives for Mount Barker.

In 1864, the South Australian government, wanting to open up its Northern Territory, organised a survey party under Finniss, appointing him as the Government Resident of the Northern Territory and giving him instructions to examine the Adelaide River and the coastline to the west and east of it. Finniss chose a site, Escape Cliffs, near the mouth of the Adelaide River for the settlement, but his choice was much criticised. He had problems with the insubordination of his officers, who were jealous of the attention he paid to some of the lesser ranks (notably W. P. Auld and J. W. O. Bennett). He was not popular with the men either. They expected to spend time exploring and not on tedious duties such as keeping guard on the stores. Finniss had not secured adequate supplies for the expedition, and did not enjoy good relations with the local Aboriginal people.