William Haines (Australian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Clark Haines
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Premier of Victoria | |
| In office 30 November 1855 – 11 March 1857 |
|
| Constituency | Nominee/ South Grant |
| Preceded by | - |
| Succeeded by | John O'Shanassy |
| In office 29 April 1857 – 10 March 1858 |
|
| Preceded by | John O'Shanassy |
| Succeeded by | John O'Shanassy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 January 1810 Hampstead, London, UK |
| Died | 3 February 1866 (aged 56) South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse | Mary Dugard |
William Clark Haines (born January 10, 1810 – died February 3, 1866) was an important politician in early Australia. He became the very first Premier of Victoria.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Haines was born in London, England. His father, John Haines, was a doctor. William went to Charterhouse School and then to Caius College at Cambridge University. He studied medicine there and later worked as a surgeon for several years.
In 1835, William Haines married Mary Dugard. They had nine children together.
Moving to Australia and Early Politics
In 1841, William Haines moved to the Port Phillip District. This area later became known as Victoria. He settled near Geelong, where he farmed the land and also worked as a surgeon.
In 1851, he was chosen to be a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. This was a group of leaders who helped govern the area. In 1853, he was elected to represent the Grant district. He served as a colonial secretary from 1854 to 1855. William Haines often supported small farmers against the "squatters," who were people who owned very large areas of land in Victoria.
Becoming Premier of Victoria
In 1855, Victoria gained full responsible government. This meant the area could now govern itself. William Haines was chosen to lead the government. On November 28, 1855, he became Victoria's first Premier and chief secretary. He served in this role until March 11, 1857.
In November 1856, Haines was elected to the Legislative Assembly for South Grant. He became Premier again from April 1857 to March 1858. After this, he traveled to Europe for three years.
When he returned, he represented the Portland area from 1860 to 1864. He also served as the Treasurer of Victoria from November 1861 to June 1863. This was during the third government led by John O'Shanassy. From August 1865 until his death in February 1866, he was a member of the legislative council, representing Eastern Province.
What People Thought of William Haines
Historian Raymond Wright described William Haines as an "honest farmer" type of person. He was known for his public speaking, which people found amusing.
As Premier, William Haines's main goal was to make the government's rules more fair for everyone. The original rules had been made to mostly protect the interests of the wealthy landowners. He wanted to make the government more democratic, meaning more people would have a say. He tried to pass a law to make the Assembly bigger, change voting areas, and remove rules about how much property people needed to own to vote or become a politician. However, his government ended before he could finish this important work.
Images for kids
-
William Clark Haines
