Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia

William Spencer

Parliamentary Service

House

MLC

Party

Date Elected

27 July 1896

Electorate

South West

Service

Electorates

MLC South West Province 27 July 1896–23 July 1901

Private Member's Bills

Year Retired/Resigned

1901

Personal Information

Birth date

circa 1824

Place of birth

Bath, England, United Kingdom

Death date

21 July 1901

Cause of death

Place of death

Bunbury, Western Australia

Cemetery

Bunbury Cemetery, WA

Arrived in WA

1842

Parents

Son of Thomas Henry, tradesman, and Margaret Robinson and father-in-law of Sir James Mitchell

Marriage and Family

Married (1) 22 March 1855, Registry Office, Bunbury to Hannah Properjohn (born circa December 1838), daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Stennet (Stend?) Children: five sons and five daughters
Widow 9 December 1898
Married (2) 30 March 1901, St Mary’s Church of England Church, North Fremantle to Mary Ann Oakley (nee Cornish), (born circa 1846), widow of Tom Oakley (who died 1883 and whom she married in 1867), daughter of Anthony and Rebecca Cooper
No children

Religion

Church of England

Education

Occupation

Police officer, builder, farmer, businessperson and auctioneer

Employment History

Arrived Bunbury December 1842 on Trusty, employed by John Scott at Eelup as a shepherd
Joined police force as mounted constable, clerk of courts and tidewaiter at Bunbury for three years
Became involved in building and timber trades, erected Bunbury jetty, St Paul’s Church
Farmer and grazier Brooklands, Balingup 1876–1882
Returned to Bunbury and established firm of general merchants, also auctioneer
Owned Wellington Hotel until 1892

Local Government

Bunbury Town Trust and Municipal Council for 15 years, retired 1897, Mayor 1872–1875, 1877–1879, 1881, 1891-1893 Also chairman Wellington Road Board

Principal Honours

Background/Membership

1883 bought Bury Hill
Member of the Board of Education

References

The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians pre 1829-1888, 4 vols, compiled by Rica Erickson, Nedlands: University of Western Australia Press, 1987.
Black, David Biographical register of members of the Parliament of Western Australia, Volume One. 1890 -1930 revised edition, p. 186.
A.C. Frost, Green Gold.
A History of Donnybrook 1842–1974 (Donnybrook Balingup Shire Council: East Fremantle, 1976), p. 27–28.
Morning Herald, 23 July 1901.
Twentieth Century Impressions of Western Australia. Anon. P.H.W. Thiel: Perth, 1901 29.

Bibliography

Further Information