William Nicholas Willis
Encyclopedia
William Nicholas Willis (3 August 1858 – 3 April 1922) was an Australia
n politician and newspaper proprietor.
and educated in a denominational school at Mudgee and briefly at St Mary's School in Sydney
. He left school at nine to support his mother after his father's departure to California
, first as an office boy. He eventually became a successful hawker along the Macquarie, Darling
and Bogan River
s. Between 1879 and 1888, he opened and managed stores in partnership with T. L. Richardson, at Girilambone
, Nyngan
, Mulga and Brewarrina
. He bought the Central Australian and Bourke Telegraph. In 1888, he married Mary Hayes and became a grazier near Brewarrina.
in the New South Wales
Legislative Assembly
in 1887, but won it as a Protectionist
in 1889 and held it to 1894. Willis founded the Truth
in 1890. He was the member for The Barwon from 1894 to 1904. He had become a supplier of horses and fodder to the British Army
in South Africa
and he recruited Australian bushmen as scout
s and sharpshooters during the Boer War
.
John Haynes
constantly accused Willis and Paddy Crick
of corrupt land deals in the Newsletter. On the appointment of a Royal Commission
under William Owen to investigate the administration of the Lands Department in 1905, Willis fled to Western Australia
and South Africa. He was brough back to Sydney in 1906, but although tried twice for obtaining money by false pretences, fraud and conspiracy, the juries failed to agree on a verdict.
about 1910. He died penniless of coronary heart disease
in Lambeth
, survived by his wife, six daughters and a son.
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 newspaper proprietor.
Early life
Willis was born in Mudgee, New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and educated in a denominational school at Mudgee and briefly at St Mary's School in 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...
. He left school at nine to support his mother after his father's departure to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, first as an office boy. He eventually became a successful hawker along the Macquarie, Darling
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
and Bogan River
Bogan River
The Bogan River is an inland river in the central west of New South Wales, Australia.This river rises at Goonumbla, 19 kilometres north-west of Parkes and flows in a generally north-north-westerly direction past Tottenham, Peak Hill and through Nyngan. The Bogan River is about 590 km in length...
s. Between 1879 and 1888, he opened and managed stores in partnership with T. L. Richardson, at Girilambone
Girilambone, New South Wales
Girilambone is a small village in western New South Wales, Australia. It is located north of Nyngan and 666km north-west of Sydney. It took its name from an Aboriginal word meaning 'place of many stars'. The railway station, its prime reason for existence, opened in 1884 and closed in 1986. The...
, Nyngan
Nyngan, New South Wales
Nyngan [pr: ning-g'n] is a town in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the Bogan Shire Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Nyngan had a population of 1,975 people. Nyngan is situated on the Bogan River between Narromine and Bourke, on the junction of the...
, Mulga and Brewarrina
Brewarrina, New South Wales
Brewarrina is a small town in North West New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. It is 98 km east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, and 808 km from Sydney. Brewarrina has had its population decrease from 1,197 persons in...
. He bought the Central Australian and Bourke Telegraph. In 1888, he married Mary Hayes and became a grazier near Brewarrina.
Political career
Willis ran unsuccessfully for BourkeElectoral district of Bourke
Bourke was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1880 to 1904, including the town of Bourke. It elected two members simultaneously between 1882 and 1894, with voters casting two votes and the first two candidates being elected.-Members...
in the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. 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...
in 1887, but won it as a Protectionist
Protectionist Party
The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
in 1889 and held it to 1894. Willis founded the Truth
Truth (Sydney newspaper)
The Truth was a newspaper published in Sydney, Australia. It was founded in August 1890 by William Nicholas Willis and its first editor was Adolphus Taylor. In 1891 it claimed to be "The organ of radical democracy and Australian National Independence" and advocated "a republican Commonwealth...
in 1890. He was the member for The Barwon from 1894 to 1904. He had become a supplier of horses and fodder to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and he recruited Australian bushmen as scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
s and sharpshooters during the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
John Haynes
John Haynes (Australian journalist)
John Haynes was a parliamentarian in New South Wales, Australia for five months short of thirty years, and co-founder , with J. F. Archibald, of The Bulletin....
constantly accused Willis and Paddy Crick
Paddy Crick
William Patrick Crick, known as Paddy Crick or W.P.Crick was an Australian politician, solicitor and newspaper proprietor...
of corrupt land deals in the Newsletter. On the appointment of a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
under William Owen to investigate the administration of the Lands Department in 1905, Willis fled to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and South Africa. He was brough back to Sydney in 1906, but although tried twice for obtaining money by false pretences, fraud and conspiracy, the juries failed to agree on a verdict.
Later life
Willis moved to LondonLondon
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...
about 1910. He died penniless of coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease
Coronary artery disease is the end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the coronary arteries that supply the myocardium with oxygen and nutrients. It is sometimes also called coronary heart disease...
in Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, survived by his wife, six daughters and a son.