William Walkley
| Sir William Walkley CBE | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Gaston Walkley 1 November 1896 Otaki, New Zealand |
| Died | 12 April 1976 (aged 79) Manly, Australia |
| Citizenship | Australia, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Accountant, Executive |
| Known for | Oil exploration |
| Home town | Palmerston North |
| Board member of | Associated Motorists' Petrol Co. Ltd Ampol (1939-1967) Pool Petroleum Pty Ltd R. W. Miller (Holdings) Ltd (1962-1963) Thiess Holdings Pty Ltd (1963-1967) Stellar Mining NL |
| Spouse(s) | Marjory (1919-?) Theresa (1945-1976) |
| Parent(s) | Herbert Walkley Teresa Walkley née Gaston |
Sir William Gaston Walkley CBE (1 November 1896 – 12 April 1976) was a New Zealand oil company executive. Walkley was a founder of Australian oil company Ampol and was credited with being one of the early pioneers in opening up the northwest of Australia to oil exploration. In 1956 he instituted the Walkley Awards, the premier award for excellence in Australian journalism.
Walkley was born in Otaki, North Island, on 1 November 1896 to Herbert and Jessie Walkley, who were British immigrants. He spent most of his early life close to Palmerston North, where his father worked as a draper.
In 1917 Walkley enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, getting as far as England. Due to ill-health and the end of the war he did not see action in the First World War. He was discharged in 1920 having reached the rank of temporary warrant officer.
He was first married at a registry office in Andover, Hampshire, England in July 1919 to Marjory Ponting; this marriage soon ended in divorce. In 1945 he married Theresa May Stevens, a divorcee who had been his secretary, at St Stephens Presbyterian Church in Sydney. His marriage to Teresa lasted until his death in 1976.
On returning to New Zealand from England Walkley applied to become an associate of the New Zealand Society of Accountants and starting a practice in Hawera in 1922.
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