William Miller (minister)

William Miller/ar (ca 1815-1874) was a minister of the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria who served the John Knox Church, cnr Little Lonsdale and Swanston Streets, Melbourne 1851-64, and was the first Chairman of the council of Scotch College in Melbourne.

Miller should not to be confused with his contemporary Rev William Baird Millar/er, who belonged to the United Presbyterian Church of Victoria 1851-53, and never held a charge but engaged chiefly in teaching.

Miller was licensed by the Free Church of Scotland Presbytery of Linlithgow on 14 August 1849, married Mary Brisbane nearby in West Calder on 21 March 1851, was ordained for Melbourne, Victoria on 17 April and arrived in Melbourne on 11 September. He was received by the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria on 22 September, and appointed to the oversight of the John Knox Church in Swanston Street, its founding minister James Forbes having died the previous month. His ministrations were so acceptable that the congregation soon extended a call to him, which he accepted, and was inducted into the charge on 16 December.

Miller laboured faithfully as a minister of the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria, and was spoken of as “highly esteemed”, “possessing good abilities”, “amiable in character” and “commanding the love and respect of the community”. However, he did not have the vision or capacity of James Forbes.

Miller had arrived in Melbourne the same day as Robert Lawson, the rector appointed by the Free Church of Scotland for the Academy planned by James Forbes and later known as Scotch College. On 9 November 1851 the Free Presbyterian Synod appointed Miller Convener of the Academy Committee (the other members were the members of the Session of John Knox Church), and so he may be regarded as the first Chairman of the College Council. In 1853 Miller, along with Rev Duncan MacDiarmid Sinclair (1816-1887), Rev John Tait (1809-60), John Armstrong (1810-1857) of Bush Station and Archibald Bonar, merchant, were appointed the first trustees of the East Melbourne site of Scotch College. Miller was subsequently replaced as Convener of the Academy Committee by Dr. Adam Cairns (1802-1881).

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