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Member Details

Sir William MCMILLAN (1850 - 1926)

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Date of Birth: 14/11/1850
Place of Birth: Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Date of Death: 21/12/1926
Place of Death: Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Evidence before the Civil Service Commission by Mr H.C.L Anderson Committee No.19 28 Jul 1896 11 Nov 1896 3 months 15 days
North Shore Bridge Bill Committee No.13 01 Jul 1896 28 Jul 1896 28 days
Member for East Sydney 24 Jul 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 11 months 15 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 2 29 Aug 1894 05 Jul 1895 10 months 7 days
Elections and Qualifications No. 5 07 Aug 1894 26 Sep 1894 1 month 20 days
Member for Burwood 17 Jul 1894 05 Jul 1895 11 months 19 days
Post Office Savings Bank-National Bank Committee No.15 29 Nov 1892 16 May 1893 5 months 18 days
Vice Suppression Bill Committee No.11 25 Oct 1892 18 Oct 1892 0 days
Yongaleatha Marble, Flag and Flux Company Bill Committee No.17 01 Sep 1891 03 Sep 1891 3 days
Australian Banking Company of Sydney Bill Committee No.10 06 Aug 1891 18 Aug 1891 13 days
Member for East Sydney 17 Jun 1891 25 Jun 1894 3 years 9 days
Library Committee No.3 26 May 1891 02 Jun 1891 8 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 26 May 1891 02 Jun 1891 8 days
Australian Banking Company Sydney Bill Committee No.41 14 Nov 1890 04 Dec 1890 21 days
Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition Committee No.36 07 Oct 1890 12 Dec 1890 2 months 6 days
Claims of Rev. Daniel P.M Hulbert Committee No.29 26 Aug 1890 20 Dec 1890 3 months 25 days
Borough of Willoughby Naming Bill Committee No.24 17 Jul 1890 22 Jul 1890 6 days
Turrawingee Tramway Bill Committee No.18 05 Jun 1890 18 Jun 1890 14 days
Toronto Tramway Act Amendment Bill Committee No.11 01 May 1890 06 May 1890 6 days
Library Committee No.4 30 Apr 1890 20 Dec 1890 7 months 21 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 Apr 1890 03 Dec 1890 7 months 4 days
Illawarra Harbour and Land Corporation Bill Committee No.6 03 Dec 1889 17 Dec 1889 15 days
Library Committee No.4 27 Nov 1889 21 Dec 1889 25 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 27 Nov 1889 21 Dec 1889 25 days
Silverton Tramway Extension Bill Committee No.16 06 Jun 1889 10 Oct 1889 4 months 5 days
Library Committee No.5 03 Apr 1889 10 Oct 1889 6 months 8 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 03 Apr 1889 16 May 1889 1 month 14 days
Member for East Sydney 18 Mar 1889 06 Jun 1891 2 years 2 months 20 days
Colonial Treasurer 08 Mar 1889 27 Jul 1891 2 years 4 months 20 days
Member for East Sydney 02 Feb 1889 08 Mar 1889 1 month 7 days
Work of Unemployed on Roads at Hornsby and Holt Sutherland Estate Committee No.7 15 Nov 1888 16 Jan 1889 2 months 2 days
Library Committee No.3 24 Oct 1888 27 Jan 1889 3 months 4 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 24 Oct 1888 27 Jan 1889 3 months 4 days
Crown Lands Purchases Validation Bill Committee No.9 28 Sep 1887 23 May 1888 7 months 26 days
Library Committee No.3 21 Sep 1887 24 Jul 1888 10 months 4 days
Hay and Deniliquin Tramway Bill Committee No.26 02 Jun 1887 30 Jun 1887 29 days
Library Committee No.4 15 Mar 1887 13 Jul 1887 3 months 29 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 09 Mar 1887 09 Mar 1887 1 day Chairman
Member for East Sydney 05 Feb 1887 19 Jan 1889 1 year 11 months 15 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 05 Feb 1887 08 Jul 1898 11 years 5 months 4 days
Political Party Activity
Free Trade Party (Deputy Leader).
Community Activity
President of Sydney Chamber of Commerce in 1886. Founder of Free Trade Association. Trustee of Commercial Travellers Association. Delegate to Federal Conventions. Member of Australia Union Club.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Businessman. Educated at Wesley College, Dublin and privately in London. Arrived in Sydney in 1869 to develop the Sydney branch of McArthur, softgood importers. Later spent some years with the Melbourne branch returning to Sydney as resident partner in 1876. Chairman and Managing Director of Metropolitan Coal Company Limited. Director of Westinghouse Air Brake Company Limited. Phoenix Assurance Company Limited.
Military Service
Honours Received
Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1901.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Member of the House of Representatives for Wentworth 1901 - 1903.
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Reverend Gibson McMillan, Wesleyan Minister, and Eliza McArthur. Married (1) Ada Charlotte Graham in 1877 and had issue, 2 daughters and 2 sons. Divorced in 1891. Married (2) Helen Maria O'Reilly in 1892 and had issue, 2 daughters. Methodist.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10 Peter M. Gunnar, Good Iron Mac: The Life of Australian Federation Father Sir William McMillan KCMG, Sydney, The Federation Press, 1995 A biography is on the National Library of Australia's Federation Gateway website: http://www.nla.gov.au/guides/federation/people/mcmillan.html Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1. Sir William McMillan - correspondence, 1889 - 1901, with roll of members of the Australasian Federal Convention, 1897 (MLMSS 2958); photographs in the PICMAN Database. 2. Sir William McMillan - papers, 1888 - 1901, 1926. Biography and portrait in ‘Australian Men of Mark’, Volume 1. Sydney, [?1889] , page 140

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