The Hon William Bates (27 February 1825 – 12 January 1891) was a

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

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. Bates was born at

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxb ...

, in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

, and emigrated to South Australia in 1850. In 1852 the

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

discoveries tempted him to Victoria, where he went into business at Sandhurst, and after four years' successful trading, removed to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, where he had a prosperous career as a general merchant. In 1868 he was returned to 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 presidin ...

for the electoral district of Collingwood as a supporter of the Darling Grant, defeating no less a candidate than the Hon

James Service James Service (27 November 1823 – 12 April 1899), Australian colonial politician, was the 12th Premier of Victoria, Australia. Biography Service was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Robert Service. As a young man James wor ...

. He was

Minister of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

in the M'Culloch Government from April 1870 to June 1871, but did not re-enter Parliament after 1874, though he contested for the districts of

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

(1877) and Collingwood again (1880). Mr. Bates was a prominent member of the Congregationalist body, and was

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

of the Jubilee Fund which was raised a few years ago to celebrate the jubilee of the establishment of the first church of the denomination in Victoria. That movement was so successful that close upon £48,000 was raised, and the denomination was able to pay off the debts on all its churches in the colony. Mr. Bates died at Fitzroy, Melbourne, on 12 January 1891, at the age of sixty-five. He married Anne Cramer Williams in Melbourne in 1857, and they had 2 sons and 5 daughters.

References

1825 births 1891 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Vice-Presidents of the Board of Land and Works Politicians from Melbourne 19th-century Australian politicians Ministers for Public Works (Victoria) {{Australia-politician-stub