William McMillan (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir William McMillan KCMG
(14 November 1850 – 21 December 1926) was an Australia
n politician and businessman. Alfred Deakin
said he was a "thoughtful, educated businessman, narrow and cold after the manner of the Manchester School … business-like in manner and incisive in debate".
McMillan was born in Derry
, Ireland
and educated at Wesley College
, Dublin (together with H. B. Higgins
) and at Tulse Hill
School in London
. He travelled to Sydney
in 1869 to develop a branch of McArthur, softgoods merchants. He later worked at the company's Melbourne
branch before returning to Sydney as resident partner in 1876. He later became chairman and managing director of Metropolitan Coal Company Limited and a director the Australian branches of Westinghouse Air Brake Company
Limited and Phoenix Assurance Company Limited. He was the president of Sydney Chamber of Commerce in 1886. In 1878 he married Ada Charlotte Graham, aged 16, and they had two daughters and two sons.
In 1887, McMillan was elected as the member for East Sydney
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for the Free Trade Party
, and held the seat until its abolition in 1894. He was Colonial Treasurer from March 1889 to July 1891 in Sir Henry Parkes
fifth Free Trade Government and was a delegate to the 1890 conference on the federation of Australia
and the 1891 National Australasian Convention. In 1894 he was elected as the member for Burwood
, which he held until 1898. He chaired the finance committee of the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.
In 1901, he was elected to federal parliament
as the first member for the seat of Wentworth
and was elected deputy leader of the Free Trade Party. He retired at the 1903 election to look after his business interests. He stood unsuccessfully for the state seat of Willoughby
in 1913.
McMillan was divorced in 1891. He married Helen Maria O'Reilly in 1892 and they had two daughters. He died in his house, Althorne in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill
.
in 1901.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(14 November 1850 – 21 December 1926) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and businessman. Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
said he was a "thoughtful, educated businessman, narrow and cold after the manner of the Manchester School … business-like in manner and incisive in debate".
McMillan was born in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and educated at Wesley College
Wesley College, Dublin
This article is about Wesley College in Dublin, Ireland. See Wesley College for articles on other institutions named "Wesley College"....
, Dublin (together with H. B. Higgins
H. B. Higgins
Henry Bournes Higgins , Australian politician and judge, always known in his lifetime as H. B. Higgins, was a highly influential figure in Australian politics and law.-Career:...
) and at Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London, England. It lies to the south of Brixton, east of Brixton Hill, north of West Norwood and west of West Dulwich.-History:...
School in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He travelled to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1869 to develop a branch of McArthur, softgoods merchants. He later worked at the company's Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
branch before returning to Sydney as resident partner in 1876. He later became chairman and managing director of Metropolitan Coal Company Limited and a director the Australian branches of Westinghouse Air Brake Company
Westinghouse Air Brake Company
The railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
Limited and Phoenix Assurance Company Limited. He was the president of Sydney Chamber of Commerce in 1886. In 1878 he married Ada Charlotte Graham, aged 16, and they had two daughters and two sons.
In 1887, McMillan was elected as the member for East Sydney
Electoral district of East Sydney
East Sydney was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales created in 1859 from part of the electoral district of Sydney, covering the eastern part of the current Sydney central business district, Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay and...
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for the Free Trade Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
, and held the seat until its abolition in 1894. He was Colonial Treasurer from March 1889 to July 1891 in Sir Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
fifth Free Trade Government and was a delegate to the 1890 conference on the federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
and the 1891 National Australasian Convention. In 1894 he was elected as the member for Burwood
Electoral district of Burwood (New South Wales)
Burwood was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, first created in 1894 with the abolition of multi-member electoral districts from part of Canterbury, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Burwood. With the introduction of...
, which he held until 1898. He chaired the finance committee of the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention.
In 1901, he was elected to federal parliament
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
as the first member for the seat of Wentworth
Division of Wentworth
The Division of Wentworth is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The Division is named after William Charles Wentworth , a noted Australian explorer and statesman...
and was elected deputy leader of the Free Trade Party. He retired at the 1903 election to look after his business interests. He stood unsuccessfully for the state seat of Willoughby
Electoral district of Willoughby
Willoughby is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Gladys Berejiklian of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
in 1913.
McMillan was divorced in 1891. He married Helen Maria O'Reilly in 1892 and they had two daughters. He died in his house, Althorne in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill
Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
Bellevue Hill is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bellevue Hill is an affluent suburb, located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra....
.
Honours
McMillan was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1901.