William Ah Ket

William (Bill) Ah Ket (20 June 1876–6 August 1936) was a noted Australian barrister.cite web | first=John | last=Lack | title =Ah Ket, William (1876 - 1936)
publisher =Australian National University | work=Australian Dictionary of Biography | url =http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070021b.htm | accessdate = 2007-08-10 ]

He was born in Wangaratta, Victoria. He is noted for fighting against the requirements of the 1907 "Factories (Employment of Chinese)" Act, which discriminated against Australian-born Chinese. [cite web |url=http://131.172.16.7/FMPro?-db=background.fp5&-format=format/background_record.htm&-lay=web&id=16&-max=1&-find= |title=Furniture making | publisher=Chinese Heritage of Australia federation |accessdate=2007-09-19] He successfully opposed proposed legislative amendments in 1904, 1905 and 1907 which would have specifically discriminated against Chinese in the furniture industry. Ah Ket was a co-founder of the Australian-Chinese Association and the Victorian delegate to the opening of the Chinese national parliament in 1912. In 1913-14 and 1917 he acted as Consul-General for China in Melbourne. [cite web |url=http://www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/wahket.htm |title=William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936* |last=Ah Ket |first=Toylaan |accessdate=2007-09-19 |publisher=Chinese Heritage of Australia federationv |date=July 5 1995] [cite web |url=http://nma.gov.au/collections/collection_interactives/harvest_of_endurance_html_version/the_people/william_ah_ket/ |title=WILLIAM AH KET |publisher=National Museum of Australia, Canberra |accessdate=2007-09-19]

His daughter Malaan was the mother of the Australian guitarist John Williams.

Notes