William Acland Douglas Anderson, (31 October 1829 – 23 January 1882) was an English-born politician and goldfields commissioner in colonial

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia.

Biography

Anderson was born in

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, the son of Lieut.-Colonel Joseph Anderson C.B., K.H. and his wife Mary, ''née'' Campbell. Early in life he came out with his father to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and received a portion of his education there. In April 1846 Anderson joined his father in the

50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot The 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot to form the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regimen ...

in India as an ensign and was promoted to lieutenant on 26 August 1848. In June 1852 he transferred to the

65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot The 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1756 as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Regiment of Foot. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 84th (York and Lancaster) Regime ...

(then based in New Zealand) and was promoted to the rank of captain. Anderson then took leave to Victoria, where his parents were located. From 12 July 1853 to April 1855 he was appointed a Commissioner of Goldfields in Victoria. He sold his army commission in March 1854. For a year from May 1856 he was a commissioner for Melbourne's sewers and water supply. From November 1856 to November 1858 Anderson was member for Evelyn and Mornington in the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...

. He was regarded as a moderate and supported the

William Haines Charles William Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American actor and interior designer. Haines was discovered by a talent scout and signed with Goldwyn Pictures in 1922. His career gained momentum when he received favo ...

ministries. Anderson was the real founder of volunteer forces of Victoria for in 1855 he raised a rifle corps in Melbourne, which was not only the first in Victoria, but probably the first in Australia. Anderson was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 1st Melbourne Rifles. On 21 March 1862, when Colonel Pitt was called to the New Zealand War, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson was elevated to the position of colonel-commandant of all the Victorian volunteer force, including the administration of the naval branch. Anderson attended the commission on colonial defences which met in

in 1881. Anderson died on 23 January 1882 at his home in

South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popul ...

. Anderson had married Caroline ''née'' Davidson on 1 May 1856. They had four children: daughters Mary and Fairlie, and sons Acland Alfred Gordon and Douglas.

References

External links

Portrait of William Acland Douglas Anderson, Lieutenant-Colonel commanding V.V. Artillery Regt.
at National Library of Australia {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, William Acland Douglas 1829 births 1882 deaths Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly People from Blackburn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment officers 65th Regiment of Foot officers 19th-century Australian politicians