William McWilliams

William James McWilliams (12 October 1856 – 22 October 1929) was the inaugural leader of the Country Party of Australia.

Born in Bream Creek, near Sorell, Tasmania, the son of Irish immigrants who ran the local school. Originally trained as a teacher, McWilliams became a journalist in 1877, rising to editor of the "Launceston Telegraph" in 1883. Marrying Josephine Fullerton in Melbourne on 19 October 1893, McWilliams’s role as editor helped his stature in the local community enough to ensure his election to the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the Electorate of Ringarooma in December 1893.Australian Dictionary of Biography
last=Neilson
first= W. A.
authorlink=
year=1986
id=100363
title= McWilliams, William James (1856 - 1929)
accessdate=2007-09-20]

In parliament, McWilliams advocated strongly on behalf of farmers, investigated the possibility of introducing sugarbeet farming into Tasmania and helped found the Tasmanian meteorological bureau. He also supported giving women and ex-convicts the vote [cite web
publisher=Department of Premier and Cabinet
date=2003
title=Women Tasmania - Reaching For New Horizons
url= http://www.women.tas.gov.au/news/nletter_dec03.pdf
accessdate=2007-09-24] but opposed Federation, believing it should be delayed.

An Australian Rules football fan, in 1897 McWilliams founded the Southern Tasmania Football Association and remained a senior figure in Australian Rules football administration in Tasmania.

McWilliams bought the Hobart based "Tasmanian News" in 1896 and moved to Hobart shortly after, unsuccessfully standing for the seat of Glenorchy in 1900. Switching to federal politics, McWilliams won the Franklin at the 1903 election as an Revenue Tariffist supporting the Free Trade Party on most economic issues.

In parliament, McWilliams, like almost all his fellow members, strongly supported the White Australia Policy but opposed federal spending on issues such as the establishment of the High Court of Australia and a federal department of agriculture, a transcontinental railway and federal acquisition of the Northern Territory. As in state parliament, McWilliams was a staunch supporter of rural issues, supporting the timber industry and primary producers, and, after assisting in the formation of the Country Party in 1920, McWilliams was appointed leader. [Graham, B. (1966) "The Formation of the Australian Country Parties", ANU Press]

McWilliams did not always see eye to eye with his party colleagues however and at times voted against the wishes of the party. He was relieved of the leadership of the Country Party in April 1921 and lost his seat at the 1922 election. McWilliams left the Country Party soon after and unsuccessfully ran at the 1925 election. McWilliams won Franklin again in 1928 and 1929, although there was little time for celebration as McWilliams died in Hobart from angina pectoris within hours of the declaration of the poll. He was survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

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