William Ashford

Who was William Ashford?

William George Ashford was an Australian politician.

Born at Sparks Creek near Scone to selector John Ashford and Rebecca Bell, he attended Sparks Creek Public School before starting work on his father's farm. He later bought a farm on the Hawkesbury River, but sold it to return to Sparks Creek. Around 1904 he married Lily Charlotte Keys Brecht, with whom he had four sons. In April 1910 he was elected in a by-election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Upper Hunter, transferring to Liverpool Plains in September. He was appointed Minister for Agriculture in 1914, serving until 1920. He was part of the conscription split in the Labor Party in 1916, joining the National Labor Party and then the Nationalist Party in 1917. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, he was one of the members for Wammerawa, serving until 1922. He died at Mosman in 1925.