William Thompson (Australian politician)
| William Thompson | |
|---|---|
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| Senator for Queensland | |
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In office 16 December 1922 – 30 June 1932 |
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| Preceded by | John MacDonald |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
2 March 1863 Ireland |
| Died | 7 March 1953 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | Irish Australian |
| Political party | Nationalist Party of Australia |
| Occupation | Businessman, soldier |
William George Thompson (2 March 1863 – 7 March 1953) was an Irish-born Australian politician. He was an Australian Senator.
William Thompson was born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland, on 2 March 1863. When he as 14 months old, his family immigrated to Australia. Thompson was educated at North Rockhampton State School in Rockhampton in Queensland.
At age 11, Thompson became an office boy for the merchant W. Jackson in Rockhampton. In 1881 he was the driving force to establish a branch of the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society at North Rockhampton and in December 1881, initiated a second branch in Rockhampton. In 1886, he established his own business called W.G. Thompson & Co, operating a bonded warehouse and other commercial activities. He was secretary of the Rockhampton General Hospital and of the Rockhampton Jockey Club. He became a colliery owner.
In 1889 Thompson joined the Queensland Infantry as a private. He had attained the rank of acting captain when placed in charge of troops in the Clermont district during the 1891 Australian shearers' strike. In 1896 he was one of Queensland's two representatives sent in the Australian contingent to England with other colonial troops to commemorate the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign.
The Boer War broke out in 1899 and General Thompson (then captain) was placed second in command of the second Queensland contingent to go to South Africa. He left Rockhampton on Christmas night 1899 after an historic march through the city and a farewell dinner at the School of Arts. He was 13 times in action on the Veldt. There was no system of reinforcements at the time and wastage of war reduced the strength of the second Queensland to a subaltern's command. General Thompson was then appointed magistrate of the High Court of Pretoria, where, with two other magistrates, he administered martial law. Pretoria, at that time, was a Boer city.
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