William McMillan

Sir William McMillan (14 November 1850 – 21 December 1926) was an Australian businessman and politician. He was a member of the first federal parliament and served as deputy leader of the Free Trade Party under George Reid, but served only a single term before resigning. He had earlier served in the Parliament of New South Wales, including as Colonial Treasurer, and was prominent in the movement for Federation. He was born in Ireland and became a successful businessman in Australia after moving to Sydney at the age of 18. Early life McMillan was born in Derry, Ireland, he was the fourth child and third son of Rev. Gibson McMillan, a Methodist minister. William lived in Westport and Ballina, both in County Mayo, Ireland until the age of six. In 1856, his father was assigned to the Methodist church in Abbey Street, Dublin, and McMillan began his formal education. Along with his older brothers, John and Charles, he attended boarding school at Wesley College in St. Stephens Green. The following year, the family moved to Dún Laoghaire where his father was assigned to the Adelaide Road Methodist church, and McMillan continued attending Wesley. Due to family financial difficulties at the time, McMillan had to abandon any intention to attend university in Dublin; rather, in 1864 he began studies at Tulse Hill School in London. He left Tulse Hill in 1866 and entered the employment of his uncle, Alexander McArthur. Commercial activities He travelled to Sydney in 1869 to develop a branch of W. & A. McArthur, Ltd., wholesale merchants and importers of York Street, Sydney. He worked at the company's Melbourne branch before returning to Sydney as resident partner in 1876. He later became chairman and managing director of Metropolitan Coal Company Limited and a director the Australian branches of Westinghouse Air Brake Company Limited and Phoenix Assurance Company Limited. He was the president of Sydney Chamber of Commerce in 1886. New South Wales politics