William Evans (Australian politician)

Australian union leader and politician

William John Evans (18 April 1856 – 22 August 1914) was an Australian union leader and politician.[1]

Evans was born in Ballarat, Victoria, the son of John Evans, a railway time-keeper, and Harriet Denman, both born in England. He joined Victorian Railways initially as a carriage-cleaner, later worked as fireman and engine-driver. He was secretary to the Locomotive Engineers Association.[1]

Evans was the only person to the short-lived Public and Railway Officers Province of the Victorian Legislative Council which was created for the June 1904 election and abolished for the following election. At the June 1907 election he successfully stood for the Melbourne North Province. Evans was appointed Attorney-General, Solicitor-General and Minister of Public Health in the Labor government of George Elmslie on 9 December 1913 following a split in the Liberal Party, however the government lasted only until 22 December 1913.[2]

Evans served until he died in Surrey Hills on 22 August 1914. He was buried in Box Hill Cemetery.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "William Evans". Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
2. ^ Jones, Barry O. "Elmslie, George Alexander (1861–1918)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.

Victorian Legislative Council

New Province  |  Member for Public and Railway Officers
1904-1907  | Province abolished
Preceded by

Frank Stuart

|  Member for Melbourne North
1907-1914
Served alongside: Donald Melville | Succeeded by

William Beckett

Political offices
Preceded by

James Brown

|  Attorney-General of Victoria &
Solicitor-General of Victoria
9-22 December 1913  | Succeeded by

Donald Mackinnon