William Jolly

William Jolly
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Lilley
In office
23 October 1937  21 August 1943
Preceded by Donald Cameron
Succeeded by James Hadley
Personal details
Born 11 September 1881
Spring Hill, Brisbane, Queensland
Died 30 May 1955 (aged 73)
Windsor, Brisbane
Nationality Australian
Political party United Australia Party
Spouse(s) Lillie Maude Moorhouse
Children Seven sons
Occupation Law clerk, accountant, public servant

William Alfred Jolly CMG (11 September 1881, Spring Hill, Brisbane - 30 May 1955, Windsor, Brisbane) was the Mayor of the Town of Windsor from 1918 to 1923, and the first Lord Mayor of the Greater Brisbane City Council from 1925 to 1931.

Public life

In 1914, he began to practice as a public accountant. Upon the establishment of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia Jolly was elected a member of the first Board.[1] He was the director of the National Bank of Australia after it merged with the Queensland National Bank. He was concillor of Kings College at the University of Queensland, a member of the Board for the YMCA and a long-term member of the Brisbane Rotary Club.

He was elected an alderman of the Windsor Town Council in 1912, becoming the Mayor between 1918 and 1923.[1]

The grave of William Jolly at Brisbane's Toowong Cemetery.

In 1937 and 1940, he stood and was elected the UAP member for the Federal Division of Lilley. William Jolly retired from politics following his defeat in the 1943 general election.[2] During his time as Lord Mayor, Jolly was responsible for many civic developments, especially the arterial road network in Brisbane. The Grey Street Bridge (renamed the William Jolly Bridge shortly after his death) was built during his time in office. On the 6 April 2013, William Jolly's grandson Warren Jolly was a guest speaker at the reopening of the newly refurbished Brisbane City Hall, which was first opened by William Jolly on the 8 April 1930.[3]

Personal life

William Jolly was born on 11 September 1881 at Spring Hill, Brisbane, the son of Alexander Jolly, gardener, and Mary Kelly.[4] His father was the landscape gardener of the Ithaca Town Council and created the parkland surrounding the Ithaca War Memorial.[5]

Lillie Maude Moorhouse Jolly (wife of Lord Mayor William Jolly), 1930

Jolly was described as a family man who was active in church activities.[1] He attended Ashgrove State School. He began working as law clerk with at a small law firm and then moved to the larger Atthow & MacGregor while studying accountancy. On the 8 January 1907, he married Lillie Maude Moorhouse and had a total of seven sons.[1]

Named in his honour

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Laverty, John (1997), "William Alfred Jolly: A slave to duty", in Shaw, Barry, Brisbane:Corridors of Power, Papers 15, Brisbane: Brisbane History Group Inc, p. 133−134, ISBN 0-9586469-1-0
  2. , Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive
  3. Channel 9 news story which shows Warren Jolly speaking at reopening of Brisbane City Hall on 6 April 2013
  4. Unidentified (1925), William Alfred Jolly, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, retrieved 18 November 2014
  5. "Ithaca War Memorial (entry 15049)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  6. "Jollys Lookout (entry 45501)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  7. "JOLLY'S LOOKOUT.". The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) (Qld.: National Library of Australia). 17 November 1932. p. 16. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  8. "THE HIGHLANDS.". The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) (Qld.: National Library of Australia). 13 September 1930. p. 9. Retrieved 13 March 2014.

External links

Media related to William Alfred Jolly at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
New title Lord Mayor of Brisbane
1925–1931
Succeeded by
Archibald Watson
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Donald Charles Cameron
Member for Lilley
1937–1943
Succeeded by
James Hadley