William Wilson Killen

For other people named William Killen, see William Killen (disambiguation).

William Killen
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Riverina
In office
16 December 1922 – 27 November 1931
Preceded byJohn Chanter
Succeeded byHorace Nock
Personal details
Born1860
Ireland
Died20 February 1939 (aged 78–79)
NationalityIrish Australian
Political partyAustralian Country Party
OccupationFarmer

William Wilson Killen (1860 – 20 February 1939) was an Australian politician.

Killen was born and educated in County Antrim, Ireland and migrated to Australia with his family in 1876. His father Edward acquired significant pastoral interests, and Killen initially worked on his father's property, "Elsinor", then managed the "Pirillie" property near Bourke. He then acquired an interest in the "Bull Plain" property near Corowa, founding a Merino stud, and purchased the "Merribee" property near Barellan in 1908, where he resided for many years thereafter.

In the 1900s Killen was secretary of a branch of the Peace and Humanity Society, which opposed Australia's involvement in the Boer War, when British troops were "depriving a brave and free people ... of their liberty and independence", indulging in "farm burning, dam-cutting, and general destruction", and "barbarous treatment of women and children ... in direct violation of the rules of warfare, as laid down by the Hague Conference".[1]

He was a co-founder of the Farmers' and Settlers' Association and after many years of involvement was its president from 1920 to 1922. He was also president of the Murrumbidgee Shire, a Yanko Shire councillor, vice-president of the Riverina New State League, a member of the councils of the Graziers' Association and Stockowners' Association and a member of the Australian Meat Council, as well as his local pastures protection board.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] He was an unsuccessful Progressive Party candidate at the 1920 state election.[9] In 1922 he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as a member of the Country Party, defeating Nationalist MP John Chanter for the seat of Riverina. In 1925, while a federal MP, he was the official representative of the Riverina Movement at the 1925 NSW Royal Commission into the New State movements. Killen held Riverina until his retirement in 1931, having had a heart attack in 1929 and struggled with health issues during his final term.[10][11][12][13]

Killen returned to farming after his retirement from politics and also continued a long-running role as a director of the Farmers' and Graziers' Co-operative Grain Insurance and Agency Co. Ltd. He retired to Sydney in his final years. He died at his home in Manly in 1939 after having been ill for several months, and was buried at Rookwood Cemetery.[4][14][5][6][15]

He married Marion Young (died 1926),[16] daughter of Victorian colonial MP Charles Young; they had three sons and one daughter: Harold Charles Killen (1894–1956), Edward Cecil Lyle Killen (1896–1965), William Bertram Sydney Killen (1900–1966), Marion Alice Killen (1898–1972). Killen's grandson, David Leitch, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1973 to 1978.[17][18]

Killen's brother Edward Killen (c. 1864–1933) was a well-known pastoralist, having purchased Nimagee, Moonagee, Gerar and Wee Jasper stations. He was associated with Graziers' Association of NSW, NSW Sheep Breeders' Association and Pastoralists' Protection Association of NSW. His children included pastoralists Eric Lyle Killen (1892–1955) and Geoffrey Lyle Killen (1899–1975).[19]

  1. ^ "Pro-Boers at Savernake". The Evening News (Sydney). No. 10, 782. New South Wales, Australia. 31 December 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Late W. W. Killen". The Farmer and Settler. New South Wales, Australia. 23 February 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  3. ^ "Mr W. W. Killen". The Land. New South Wales, Australia. 22 September 1916. p. 8. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  4. ^ a b "Mr W. W. Killen". The Argus (Melbourne). Victoria, Australia. 21 February 1939. p. 10. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  5. ^ a b "Mr W. W. Killen Farewelled". The Sun. New South Wales, Australia. 10 March 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  6. ^ a b "Mr W. W. Killen, M.P." Farmers' Advocate. Victoria, Australia. 19 July 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "Good Australian: 54". Country Life Stock and Station Journal. New South Wales, Australia. 14 March 1924. p. 5. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "Cr. W. W. Killen, M.H.R." The Land. New South Wales, Australia. 10 August 1928. p. 7. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  9. ^ "Mr W. W. Killen". The Land. New South Wales, Australia. 20 February 1920. p. 9. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  10. ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  11. ^ "W. W. Killen". The Independent. New South Wales, Australia. 30 August 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  12. ^ "Mr W. W. Killen, M.H.R." The Brisbane Courier. Queensland, Australia. 27 August 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  13. ^ "Riverina's Future". The Lockhart Review and Oaklands Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 23 June 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  14. ^ "Mr W. W. Killen". The Hillston Spectator and Lachlan River Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 23 February 1939. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  15. ^ "Funeral of W. W. Killen". The Sun. New South Wales, Australia. 21 February 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  16. ^ "Mrs W. W. Killen". Goulburn Evening Penny Post. New South Wales, Australia. 27 September 1926. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  17. ^ "Dr David Stanley Leitch". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  18. ^ "Obituary". The Land. New South Wales, Australia. 1 October 1926. p. 6. Retrieved 26 December 2019 – via Trove.
  19. ^ James Jervis (29 July 1955). "Week-End Magazine". The Farmer and Settler. Vol. L, no. 45. New South Wales, Australia. p. 17. Retrieved 3 December 2023 – via National Library of Australia.