William McKell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Sir William McKell GCMG QC
McKell c. 1953
12th Governor-General of Australia
In office 11 March 1947 – 8 May 1953
Monarch	George VI Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Ben Chifley Robert Menzies
Preceded by	The Duke of Gloucester
Succeeded by	Sir William Slim
27th Premier of New South Wales Elections: 1944
In office 16 May 1941 – 6 February 1947
Monarch	George VI
Governor	John de Vere Loder John Northcott
Deputy Premier	Jack Baddeley
Preceded by	Alexander Mair
Succeeded by	Jim McGirr
Treasurer of New South Wales
In office 16 May 1941 – 6 February 1947
Preceded by	Athol Richardson
Succeeded by	Jim McGirr
14th Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales Elections: 1941
In office 5 September 1939 – 16 May 1941
Premier	Alexander Mair
Deputy	Jack Baddeley
Preceded by	Jack Lang
Succeeded by	Alexander Mair
9th Leader of the Labor Party in New South Wales
In office 5 September 1938 – 6 February 1947
Deputy	Jack Baddeley
Preceded by	Jack Lang
Succeeded by	Jim McGirr
Cabinet positions Minister for Local Government In office 4 November 1930 – 17 June 1931 Premier Jack Lang Preceded by Michael Bruxner Succeeded by Jim McGirr Minister of Justice In office 17 June 1931 – 13 May 1932 Premier Jack Lang Preceded by Joe Lamaro Succeeded by Daniel Levy In office 17 June 1925 – 7 June 1927 Premier Jack Lang Preceded by Thomas Ley Succeeded by Andrew Lysaght Jr. In office 20 December 1921 – 13 April 1922 Premier James Dooley Preceded by Thomas Bavin Succeeded by Thomas Ley In office 22 December 1920 – 10 October 1921 Premier John Storey Preceded by Edward McTiernan Succeeded by Thomas Bavin
Electorate Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Botany In office 20 March 1920 – 7 September 1927 Serving with Thomas Mutch Simon Hickey Frank Burke John Lee Bill Ratcliffe Preceded by Electorate expanded Succeeded by Electorate reduced Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Redfern In office 8 October 1927 – 6 February 1947 Preceded by Electorate re-established Succeeded by George Noble In office 24 March 1917 – 18 February 1920 Preceded by James McGowen Succeeded by Electorate abolished
Personal details
Born	William John McKell 26 September 1891 Pambula, Colony of New South Wales
Died	January 11, 1985(1985-01-11) (aged 93) Waverley, New South Wales, Australia
Resting place	Northern Suburbs Crematorium
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Mary Pye ​ (m. 1920)​
Children	3
Parents	Robert Pollock McKell Martha Shepherd
Education	Bourke Street Public School
Occupation	Boilermaker Unionist Politician
Cabinet	First Second

Sir William John McKell (born 26 September 1891, died 11 January 1985) was an important Australian politician. He served as the 12th Governor-General of Australia from 1947 to 1953. Before that, he was the Premier of New South Wales from 1941 to 1947. He led the Labor Party in New South Wales.

McKell was born in a small town called Pambula, New South Wales. He grew up in Sydney and left school at 13. He trained as a boilermaker, a person who makes and repairs boilers. He became very active in the union movement, which helps workers.

He became a politician in 1917. At just 29, he became a minister in the government. He later became the leader of the Labor Party in New South Wales. As Premier, he helped lead the state during World War II and started many projects to rebuild after the war.

His appointment as Governor-General was a bit controversial at first. But he worked well with Prime Ministers from different parties. He was knighted by the King in 1951. After retiring, he helped write the constitution for Malaysia.

Early Life & Work

Bill McKell was the oldest of four children. He was born in Pambula, New South Wales. In 1898, his family moved to Surry Hills in Sydney. His father left the family three years later. McKell always said his father had died young. His mother worked hard to support the family.

He went to Bourke Street Public School in Surry Hills. McKell was a good student and a talented athlete. He also worked part-time to help his family.

In 1906, McKell started an apprenticeship as a boilermaker. He worked at Mort's Dock in Balmain. He joined the boilermakers' union and helped other apprentices fight for better working conditions. From 1913 to 1914, he worked for the railways. In 1914, he became a full-time assistant secretary for the Boilermakers' Society.

McKell joined the Labor Party (ALP) in 1908. He became an important member of the party. In 1916, the Labor Party split over the issue of conscription (forcing people to join the army). McKell was against conscription. In the 1917 election, he won against James McGowen, a former Labor Premier. McGowen had been kicked out of the party for supporting conscription.

In 1919, McKell bought a house in Redfern, where he lived for a long time. The next year, he married Mary 'Minnie' Pye. They had three children.

Political Career

McKell was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Redfern. He held this seat until he became Governor-General in 1947. For a few years (1920–1927), he was an MP for Botany. While an MP, McKell studied law and became a lawyer in 1925.

He became the Minister of Justice in 1920 when Labor won the election. He kept this job until 1922. When Labor won again in 1925, McKell returned as Justice Minister. He also helped the Premier, Jack Lang, with money matters. In 1927, he lost his minister position.

When Lang won the 1930 election, McKell became a minister again. He was in charge of Local Government. In 1931, he became Justice Minister once more. He stayed in this role until Lang was removed from office in 1932.

In the 1930s, there were disagreements within the Labor Party. McKell was seen as a good choice to lead the party. He replaced Jack Lang as leader of the opposition in 1939.

Premier of New South Wales

In the 1941 election, McKell promised many reforms for New South Wales. He said that social improvements should not be stopped because of the war. McKell's party won the election, taking 54 out of 90 seats.

As Premier, McKell created a committee to help with the war effort. The government built ships, roads, and airfields. New South Wales produced weapons and grew food. They also started a strong civil defense program to protect people from air raids.

In the 1944 election, McKell's government won even more seats. He was the first Labor Premier in New South Wales to win two elections in a row. His government made many improvements in social welfare, industry, and environmental protection. This included creating the Kosciusko National Park.

In 1946, McKell announced he would retire from politics. But Prime Minister Ben Chifley asked him to become Governor-General instead. McKell agreed and resigned from Parliament in February 1947.

Governor-General of Australia

In 1947, Prime Minister Chifley asked King George VI to appoint McKell as Governor-General. The King was not sure at first. This was because McKell was a politician and a leader of a specific party. There was no past example of a serving Australian politician becoming Governor-General. But the King eventually agreed after Chifley promised McKell would be fair and not political in the role.

Chifley wanted an Australian-born person to be Governor-General. He chose McKell, who came from a working-class background, to make a point. Some people, like Robert Menzies, were upset by this choice. Menzies called the appointment "shocking and humiliating." He said that the Governor-General should be far away from party politics. Chifley stood by his decision.

McKell remained quiet about the criticism. Once he took office in March 1947, people respected his position. He performed his duties with dignity. Even when Menzies became Prime Minister in 1949, they developed a good working relationship. Menzies even extended McKell's term by 14 months.

A big moment in McKell's time as Governor-General happened in 1951. Menzies asked him to call a "double dissolution" election. This is a special election where all seats in both houses of Parliament are up for election. McKell agreed, believing it was his duty to follow the Prime Minister's advice. Some members of the Labor Party were unhappy with McKell's decision.

In 1951, King George VI made McKell a knight. This was a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George. This caused some debate in the Labor Party, as they usually did not support knighthoods. However, McKell had already left the party when he became Governor-General.

Later Life

McKell retired in May 1953. From 1956 to 1957, he was part of the Reid Commission. This group helped write the Constitution of Malaysia.

McKell was a long-time supporter of the Sydney Cricket Ground. He was a trustee and former chairman there. In later years, people became more interested in McKell's life and work. A new government building in Sydney was named the McKell Building after him. The Labor Party also named a research group after him.

Sir William McKell passed away in January 1985 at the age of 93. A memorial service was held for him. His wife, Lady Mary McKell, passed away six months later. Both are buried at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium.

See also

• First McKell ministry
• Second McKell ministry