William Arthur Neilson AC (27 August 1925 – 9 November 1989) was

Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly is invited by the governor of ...

from 1975 to 1977. Born in Hobart, and educated at

Ogilvie High School Hobart City High School is a government co-educational high school in New Town, Hobart. Hobart City High School was formed in 2022 when Oglivie High School and New Town High School merged. The merged schools are now co-educational and were the la ...

, Neilson became a postman before entering politics. He married Jill Benjamin, daughter of Phyllis Benjamin, in

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 ...

in 1948. They had one son Andrew and three daughters, Christine, Carol and Robin. Neilson was elected to the

Tasmanian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Hobart. The Assembly has 25 m ...

on 23 November 1946 at the age of 21, representing the Labor Party (ALP). For many years he was not only the youngest MHA in Tasmania, but also the youngest person to be elected to any Australian parliament. He held various cabinet offices, including those of Minister for Tourism and Attorney-General. For over a decade (1958–1969), and again 1972–1974, he was Minister for Education. He was made Attorney-General again on 12 April 1974, and five days later was also made Deputy Premier, Police Minister and Environment Minister. When the Premier

Eric Reece Eric Elliott Reece, AC (6 July 190923 October 1999) was Premier of Tasmania on two occasions: from 26 August 1958 to 26 May 1969, and from 3 May 1972 to 31 March 1975. His 13 years as premier remains the second longest in Tasmania's history, On ...

was required to retire due to his age, Neilson was elected Tasmanian Leader of the ALP and Premier of Tasmania, on 31 March 1975. The following year Neilson's government was re-elected, narrowly defeating (by just one seat) the Liberal Party led by Sir

Max Bingham Sir Eardley Max Bingham (18 March 1927 – 30 November 2021), was an Australian politician. He was Deputy Premier and Opposition Leader of Tasmania, who represented the electorate of Denison for the Liberal Party in the Tasmanian House of As ...

; but towards the end of his tenure, he suffered from nervous exhaustion. He resigned as Premier, and from Parliament, on 1 December 1977. After his term as premier, Neilson accepted the position as Agent-General for Tasmania in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, but soon his successor in the premiership, Douglas Lowe, abolished the post on cost-cutting grounds. In the 1980s, Nielson wrote as a theatre critic for '' The Mercury'' newspaper in Hobart. He died of cancer in November 1989.

References

1925 births 1989 deaths Companions of the Order of Australia Deputy Premiers of Tasmania Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly Premiers of Tasmania Politicians from Hobart Treasurers of Tasmania Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Tasmania 20th-century Australian politicians {{Australia-Labor-politician-stub