William Taylor Whan

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William Taylor Whan was born on the 30 October 1829. He was born in the village of Balinderry in County Londonderry, Ireland.

Whan was both a Botanist and a Presbyterian minister. While studying at the Queen's University, Belfast, he was M.A. and F.R.M.S. Whan was awarded both the the University Gold Medal and a senior scholarship in natural history.

Whan was a member of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria. He collected for Ferdinand von Müller. While living in Port Fairy, he gathered a large collection of algae and conchology. He also formed collections of Phanerogams, as well as contributing to the Melbourne Herbarium.

Whan died in 1901 and was buried at Skipton in North Yorkshire, England. Although he was buried in England, he was minister at (and therefore lived in) Port Fairy, Australia.

William Whan is commemorated by three plants; Acacia whanii, F. V. M = A. lanigera and A.Cunn. variation Whanii.