18 Facts About William McWilliams

William James McWilliams was an Australian journalist and politician.

William McWilliams was the inaugural leader of the Country Party from 1920 to 1921 and served in federal parliament for nearly 20 years.

William McWilliams became a journalist at a young age, working in both Hobart and Launceston, and becoming a newspaper editor and proprietor.

William McWilliams was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1903 federal election, standing as a Revenue Tariff candidate.

William McWilliams later affiliated with the Liberal Party and Nationalist Party, before helping co-found the Country Party after the 1919 election.

William McWilliams was the third of five children of Eliza and Thomas James McWilliams.

William McWilliams later relocated to Launceston and worked for The Examiner as a parliamentary reporter.

In 1896, McWilliams became the owner of the Tasmanian News, a Hobart-based afternoon newspaper.

William McWilliams was a supporter of Edward Braddon's government and was re-elected at the 1897 election, but lost his seat in 1900.

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.

William McWilliams supported giving women and ex-convicts the vote but opposed the Federation, believing it should be delayed.

William McWilliams was elected as the party's inaugural leader on 25 February 1920, with Jowett as his deputy, largely on the basis that he was the only member with prior experience in federal parliament.

On 10 March 1920, McWilliams demonstrated the Country Party's power by moving a motion to restrict supply, which the government took as a confidence motion and survived by only four votes.

At the 1928 election, McWilliams finally defeated Seabrook as an independent, joining Country Progressive MP Percy Stewart on the crossbench.

William McWilliams was re-elected at the 1929 election with an increased majority and by one account was "tacitly supported by Labor in the 1928 and 1929 elections".

In 1893, McWilliams married Josephine Fullerton, who had previously been widowed.

The couple had three children, while a step-son William Fullerton served in the Tasmanian House of Assembly.

William McWilliams had been in poor health during the election campaign and had been bedridden since the day of the election.