William Currey
| William Matthew Currey | |
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Currey circa. 1918
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| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Kogarah |
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In office 10 May 1941 – 30 April 1948 |
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| Preceded by | James Ross |
| Succeeded by | Douglas Cross |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
19 September 1895 Wallsend, New South Wales |
| Died | 30 April 1948 (aged 52) Bexley, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1916–19 1930–32 1940–41 |
| Rank | Warrant Officer |
| Unit | 53rd Battalion |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
William Matthew Currey, VC (19 September 1895 – 30 April 1948) was a politician and an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He received the award for his actions during the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin in September 1918, while serving with Australian Imperial Force on the Western Front during the First World War.
After the war, Currey worked as a labourer and railway worker before entering the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Australian Labor Party representative for the seat of Kogarah, which he held between 1941 and his death in 1948.
Born at Wallsend, New South Wales, on 19 September 1895 Currey was the son of a miner, William Robert Currey and Mary Ellen Lang. After attending Dudley and Plattsburg public schools, he was employed as a wireworker in Leichhardt. In October 1916, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, volunteering for service overseas during the First World War, having attempted unsuccessfully several times before, being rejected as under-aged. After being accepted, Currey was eventually sent to the Western Front in Europe, where he initially served the 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery, before being posted in July 1917 to the 53rd Battalion – an infantry battalion that had been recruited primarily from New South Wales – as a reinforcement. In late 1917, Currey fought with the battalion during the Battle of Polygon Wood.
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