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William Webster

William Webster (1860-1936), quarryman and politician, migrated from England to Sydney in 1879. As a quarryman in Pyrmont he was active in the Quarrymen's Union and the Trades and Labor Council. He founded Webster Bros, a quarrying firm in Marrickville, which was one of the first to observe an eight-hour day and pay the standard wage.

These progressive values shaped his later career.  While he was quarrying stone in Narrabri, he became the first Labor member to represent Moree in the NSW parliament. In 1903 he resigned and won Gwydir in the federal House of Assembly. In 1916 he left the Labor Party to join Billy Hughes in the National Labor government. He lost his seat in 1919 and died at Parramatta in 1936.

Further Reading

• Wikipedia: William Webster (Australian politician)

• Christine Wise, ‘Webster, William (1860–1936)’ in Australian Dictionary of Biography