William Hedges (Australian politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Hedges
In office 12 December 1906 – 31 May 1913
Preceded by	William Carpenter
Succeeded by	Reginald Burchell
Constituency	Fremantle (Western Australia)
Personal details
Born	(1856-07-16)16 July 1856 Hertfordshire, England
Died	21 November 1935(1935-11-21) (aged 79) Perth, Western Australia
Nationality	English Australian
Political party	WAP (1906–09) Liberal (1909–13)
Occupation	Contractor, company director

William Noah Hedges (born 16 July 1856 – died 21 November 1935) was an important Australian politician. He was born in Hertfordshire, England, and moved to Australia in 1878.

William Hedges started his career by running a stone quarry in Queensland. Later, he moved to South Australia. There, he worked on fixing bridges and buildings in a place called Mount Barker. He also spent several years in Adelaide, where he helped build wharves (places where ships dock) and railways.

Moving to Western Australia

In 1893, William Hedges moved to Western Australia. He bought and managed a company that dealt with timber and firewood. He also owned farms in both Western Australia and South Australia.

Becoming a Politician

In 1906, William Hedges decided to enter politics. He was elected to the Australian House of Representatives. This is one of the two main parts of the Australian Parliament. He became the representative for the area called Fremantle.

At first, he was the only member of the Western Australian Party in Parliament. Even though John Forrest was the leader of this party, he didn't actively participate in it. In 1909, William Hedges joined a new group called the Commonwealth Liberal Party. He continued to represent Fremantle until 1913, when he lost his seat in an election. He tried to get elected again in 1918, 1919, and 1922, but he was not successful.

His Writings

William Hedges also wrote several small books. These books shared his ideas and knowledge about different topics.

• In 1922, he wrote "A practical scheme for land settlement in Western Australia." This book was about how to set up farms and communities in Western Australia.
• In 1924, he published "Proposals for agricultural railways in Western Australia." This book discussed ideas for building railways to help farmers.
• His last book, "Wheat growing in Western Australia," came out in 1930. It focused on how to grow wheat in the region.

Later Life and Leadership

In 1929, William Hedges took on a big role. He became the President of the Western Australian Employers Federation. This group represented businesses and employers in Western Australia. He held this important position until he passed away in 1935.