William Bolton | |
|---|---|
 Lieutenant Colonel William Bolton c.1917 | |
| Senator for Victoria | |
| In office 1 July 1917 – 30 June 1923 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 November 1861 Lostock Gralam, England |
| Died | 8 September 1941 (aged 79) Brighton, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Nationalist Party of Australia |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch/service | Citizens Military Force Australian Imperial Force |
| Years of service | 1878–1920 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands | 8th Battalion (1914–15) Queenscliff Fort (1914) 70th Regiment (1912–14) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration |
Brigadier General William Kinsey Bolton CBE, VD (2 November 1861 – 8 September 1941) was an Australian soldier, politician and a founding member of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA), forerunner of the present Returned and Services League of Australia. Bolton commanded the 8th Battalion early on in the First World War, including during the landing and initial battles of the Gallipoli campaign. Bolton's Ridge on the right flank of Anzac Cove was named after him. He returned to Australia due to ill health in September 1915, was elected the inaugural National President of the RSSILA (1916–19), and served as a Nationalist Senator from Victoria from 1917 to 1923.