William Hill (Australian politician)

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William Caldwell Hill (14 April 1866 - 15 November 1939), was a long serving member of the Australian House of Representatives.

Born at Burnt Creek, near Dunolly, Victoria, Hill was educated at state schools before working as a railwayman, station master and wheat farmer. On 20 September 1919, at the by-election caused by the death of Albert Palmer, he won the House of Representatives Division of Echuca as a Victorian Farmers' Union candidate. In 1920 he helped form the Country Party. From 8 August 1924 to 29 November 1928 he was Minister for Works and Railways in the Bruce–Page government. During his period of office he commenced the standardisation of the railway gauges by the construction of the North Coast railway line from Kyogle, to South Brisbane, the construction of the rail line from Oodnadatta, South Australia, to Alice Springs by Commonwealth Railways, the introduction of a Federal aid road scheme—which provided funding to the states for road construction—and the building of the Hume Dam, which he promoted as president of the inter-governmental River Murray Water Commission. He retired from Parliament on 7 August 1934, because he was unwilling to sign a pledge to vote in parliament as instructed by his party, and he was succeeded as the member for Echuca by John McEwen, future leader of the Federal Country Party.^[1]

Hill died at Nar Nar Goon, survived by his wife Bella and by six children.

[edit] Notes

Political offices
Preceded by Percy Stewart	Minister for Works and Railways 1924–1928	Succeeded by William Gibson
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Albert Palmer	Member for Echuca 1919 – 1939	Succeeded by John McEwen

Persondata
NAME	Hill, William Caldwell
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Australian farmer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH	14 April 1866
PLACE OF BIRTH	Burnt Creek, near Dunolly, Victoria
DATE OF DEATH	15 November 1939
PLACE OF DEATH	Nar Nar Goon, Victoria