William Lyne
Sir
William John Lyne (
6 April 1844 -
3 August 1913),
Australian politician, was
Premier of New South Wales and a member of the first federal ministry.
Lyne was born in
Apslawn,
Tasmania, and farmed in Tasmania and
Queensland before settling near
Albury,
New South Wales, in about
1875. He was a member of the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly from
1880. A
Protectionist, he was Secretary for Public Works
1885,
1886-
87 and
1891-
94, and Secretary for Lands
1889. He was Premier of NSW and Colonial Treasurer
1899-
1901.
As Premier of the largest colony, Lyne considered himself entitled to be the first
Prime Minister of Australia when the colonies federated in January
1901. In December
1900 the
Governor-General,
Lord Hopetoun offered the post to Lyne, but because Lyne had opposed federation, most senior politicians, notably
Alfred Deakin, told Hopetoun that they would not serve under Lyne. Hopetoun was forced to accept the majority view that
Edmund Barton, the leader of the federation movement, should be Prime Minister.
Lyne was elected to the first federal Parliament as member for the
Division of Hume. He was Minister for Home Affairs in the Barton and Deakin governments
1901-
03 and Minister for Trade and Customs
1903-
04. He held this post again in the second Deakin government
1905-
07, and was
Treasurer 1907-
08.
In
1908 Lyne opposed the merger of the Protectionist and
Free Trade parties, accusing Deakin of betrayal, and thereafter sat as an independent Protectionist. Lyne held his seat as an independent in
1910 but was defeated in
1913. He died in Sydney shortly afterwards.
*
Australian Commonwealth ministries 1901-2004
