People Australia

William McKell, 1977

National Archives of Australia, A6180, 23/2/77/3

William John McKell (1891-1985) boilermaker, trade union official, premier and governor-general

Birth: 26 September 1891 at Pambula, New South Wales son of native-born parents Robert Pollock McKell (1861-1934), butcher, and Martha, née Shepherd (1860-1951). Marriage: 7 January 1920 to Minnie May Pye (1904-1985), a tailoress. They had two daughters and one son. Death: 11 January 1985 at Waverley, Sydney, NSW. Religion: Anglican. 

• Moved with his parent to Sydney in 1897.
• Educated at Surry Hills Public School. Father abandoned the family in 1901. For Billy formal education ended when he was aged 13. He assisted the family by delivering groceries on Saturdays. Worked in a city chemist shop. Contested amateur boxing championships 1908-1909, played grade football for Balmain.
• Family moved to Redfern in 1904. McKell served apprenticeship as a boilermaker at Mort’s Dock, and later Poole and Steele’s. He was employed as a boilermaker, in the Railways Department from 1913 to 1914 in Eveleigh railway workshops, then at Hoskins Iron Works and Australian Gas Light Company.
• Formed apprentices’ union representing it at state arbitration court.
• Assistant secretary of the boilermakers’ union to 1917. Member, Industrial Vigilance Committee 1916-1918. Member central executive of the Australian Labor Party in 1916-1917.
• Elected member of the Legislative Assembly for Redfern 1917-1920 for Botany 1920-1927 and for Redfern 1927-1947 (resigned).
• Completed law degree and was called to the Supreme Court Bar as a barrister in 1925.
• Assistant minister of justice 1920 in Storey administration; minister of justice 1920-1922. When Labor returned to office with J. T. Lang McKell became minister of justice and assistant colonial treasurer 1925-1927; minister for local government 1930-1931; minister of Justice 1931-1932; ALP leader, 1939-1947. Premier and colonial treasurer 1941-1947. Voted for R. J. Heffron as his successor.
• Governor General 1947-1953. Angered some Labor members when agreeing to Menzies’ request for a double dissolution of Parliament because a Labor majority in the Senate was blocking government legislation.
• Appointed KC 1946; PC 1948; GCMG 1951; Hon. LL D, University of Sydney 1952; member, Malayan Constitutional Committee 1956.
• Bought grazing property near Goulburn 1930s. Keen sportsman, patron, NSW Rugby League; trustee Sydney Cricket Ground, chairman 1938. Author of: The Tennessee Valley Authority (1945); Five Critical Years (1946).
• Cause of death: aplastic anaemia (5 years). 

Sources
Westralian Worker 1922-74, 25; L Sydney Morning Herald 26 March 1917, 12 May 1941, 17 May 1941, 12 January 1985, 14 January 1985; People 13 September 1950, pp 3-7; Vince Kelly A Man of the People (Sydney, 1971);  correspondence; Labor Year Book 1933, p 173, 1934-35 p 233; Australian Worker, November 1925; D.J. Murphy (ed,), Labor in Politics: State Labor Parties in Australia, 1880-1920 (St Lucia, Qld, 1975); Christopher Cunneen, William John McKell (Sydney, 2000).