People Australia

William Wise, n.d.

William James Wise (1861-1929) miner, trade union official, alderman and municipal employee

Birth: 27 September 1861 in the Plough Inn at Albury, New South Wales, son of Robert Wise (1828-1906), hotel keeper, and Agnes, née Nolan (1842-1874). Marriage: 9 November 1890 at Broken Hill, NSW, to Mary Barbara, née Kelly, late Shaw (1863-1918), born at Ashton in Mak, Lancashire, England, a widow with two daughters. They had one daughter. Death: 11 October 1929 at Broken Hill. Religion: Catholic. 

• William’s paternal grandfather Isaac Wise (1791-1844) arrived in NSW as convict in 1814.
• His mother died young and his father was ill so he was placed in the care of a relative. Removed from school early, he rebelled and ran away.
• Farm worker in Howlong district for several years and later did general bush. Went to Broken Hill district in 1886. Was a butcher at Yanco Glen and soon after moved to Broken Hill and worked underground in Proprietary Mine.
• Committee member in the Amalgamated Miners' Association (later Workers’ Industrial Union of Australasia) including treasurer of branch and assistant secretary to defence committee in 1892.
• Succeeded A. J. O’Connell as secretary of the AMA from 1895 to 1905. Was involved in strikes of 1889, 1890 and 1892. Represented AMA in Eight-Hour demonstrations.
• Commissioned justice of the peace in 1898. He and J. H. Ivey were removed from the list of justices of the peace in July 1909 on the grounds that they were witnesses for the defence in Tom Mann’s case.
• Contested election to council in 1898. Became alderman (Labor) for Willis Ward in 1889. Was defeated in the election in February 1902.
• Assistant financial secretary to R. Sleath, MP.
• Worked on Broken Hill City Council from about 1905 to April 1929, including as driver of urine cart. Municipal Employees' Union delegate on the Barrier District Assembly of the Australian Labor Party.
• Member of the Democratic Club and the Sacred Heart branch of the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society.
• Cause of death: arteriosclerosis and cerebral haemorrhage.

Sources
Barrier Daily Truth (Broken Hill), 12 October 1929; Official Souvenir for the Eight-hour Demonstration 1900 p.56; George Dale, The industrial history of Broken Hill, (Melbourne, 1918), pp 69, 71 & 99.