Francis Cadell (born 1822 in Cockenzie, died 1879) was a European explorer of Australia.

Originally, Cadell's reason for going to Australia was to find gold. In 1852 he built a canoe, and set off to explore the Murray River, becoming the first European to travel the whole length of the river. In 1867 he led an expedition into the Northern Territory, where he became involved in whaling, trading, and pearling. He was shot by one of his crew in 1879 on a pearling boat. A model of his canoe is in Prestongrange museum.