William Carter (1796 – 8 July 1878) was the first Mayor of Hobart.

Merchant

Carter arrived in the colony of

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...

in 1835, and worked as a storekeeper and merchant. He had a hardware and grocery store at the corner of

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and

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streets, before relocating to the corner of Murray and Collins streets, where he established the firm of William Carter and Co., wholesale wine and spirit merchant.

Magistrate

Carter was appointed as a Commissioner of the Peace, and in this capacity visited the Brickfields Hiring Depot in 1844 with William Watchorn, and reported on the condition of female convicts there. They stated that "the whole system is one of great mismanagement dangerous to the community & destructive of any hope that might otherwise be entertained of the moral reformation of any of the Class."

Politician

Carter served as an alderman for the

City of Hobart Hobart City Council (or City of Hobart) is a local government body in Tasmania, covering the central metropolitan area of the state capital, Hobart. The Hobart local government area has a population of 53,684 and includes the suburbs of West H ...

from 1846–1847, and again, this time as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

, from 1853–1854. According to his obituary, he "sustained the dignity and importance of his position in a becoming manner." Carter later became a Member of the Legislative Council for

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

, along with Thomas Horne and

James Milne Wilson Sir James Milne Wilson, (29 February 1812 – 29 February 1880) served as Premier of Tasmania from 1869 to 1872. Biography Wilson was born in 1812 in Banff, Scotland; the third son of John Wilson, a shipowner, and his wife, Barbara Gray; mat ...

, serving in this office from 1859 to 1865. In this capacity he was involved in laying the foundation stone for the Playhouse Theatre and Union Chapel.

Death and legacy

Carter moved to Toorak in

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 ...

toward the end of his life, and died there on 8 July 1878. Carter has been described as a "shrewd and astute business man," while his obituary noted that he "was especially distinguished for his aversion to

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and

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." He was "frequently known, when people began to speak against others, to walk away, so as not to be led into saying a word in the way of reproach of absent persons."

Personal life

Carter sailed from London on 20 July 1833 on board the

barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts having the fore- and mainmasts Square rig, rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) Fore-and-aft rig, rigged fore and aft. Som ...

"Wave" with his wife Mary Ann, 6 children and 3 servants. They arrived in Tasmania on 14 November 1833. Carter had 8 children in all: Mary Ann, Joseph, William, Lydia, Robert, Emma Mary, Eliza and Millie. The youngest two were born in Hobart.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, William Mayors and Lord Mayors of Hobart Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council 1796 births 1878 deaths Place of birth missing English emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian politicians