William Charles Peters (15 April 1903 – 21 February 1978) was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

politician and a member of the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...

between 1959 and 1978. He was a member of the Labor Party. Peters began his working life as a

hatter Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of g ...

and joined the Felt Hatters Union when he was 16 years old. His union interest eventually overtook his career as a hatter and he was secretary of the union for 36 years from 1936 to 1972. He contested a by-election in 1946 for the state seat of Ashfield for the Labor Party but was defeated by the Liberal incumbent

Athol Richardson Athol Railton Richardson (15 May 1897 – 22 May 1982) was an Australian politician and judge. Richardson represented the Electoral district of Ashfield for the United Australia Party and the Liberal Party from 11 May 1935 until 5 February 1952 ...

Richardson Richardson may refer to: People * Richardson (surname), an English and Scottish surname * Richardson Gang, a London crime gang in the 1960s * Richardson Dilworth, Mayor of Philadelphia (1956-1962) Places Australia * Richardson, Australian Cap ...

had resigned to contest a federal seat. When he was unsuccessful he then re-contested Ashfield.
He again contested Ashfield at the 1947 election but was again defeated by Richardson. Six years later he was elected to Ashfield Council where he served for 24 years including two years as mayor from 1962 to 1964. In 1959,

George Neilly George Henry Neilly (3 March 1917 – 6 May 1987) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Parliament from 1954 to 1977. He was a member of the Labor Party (ALP). Neilly was born in the Hunter Region coal mining tow ...

resigned his seat in the Legislative Council to contest the lower house seat of Cessnock. Peters won the Labor nomination for the vacant seat and held his place until his death. He did not hold ministerial office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, William 1903 births 1978 deaths Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales 20th-century Australian politicians Mayors of Ashfield