William Gillies

Who was William Gillies?

William Neil Gillies was ALP Premier of Queensland, Australia, from 26 February 1925 to 22 October 1925.

Gillies was born in Eccleston, New South Wales, the son of Dougald Gillies, farmer, and his wife Mary, both parents being Scottish immigrants. Gillies was educated at local schools and in 1882 went with his parents to the Village of Tintenbar in the Richmond River country. There he took up farming including sugar-cane growing, and began to be interested in public affairs. He was an active member of the anti-alien league, and afterwards became president of the New South Wales sugar growers defence league. In the federal election of 1910 he stood unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate for the Richmond seat, and was again defeated when he stood for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in the same district.

In 1911 Gillies took up land in Queensland and in 1912 won the Eacham seat for Labour in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland despite a charge of falsely stating his period of residence on an electoral claim. He held this seat until his retirement from politics. He was assistant-minister for justice in the Thomas J. Ryan ministry from 25