William Irvine (Australian politician)

The Honourable Sir William Irvine GCMG
Chief Justice of Victoria
In office 9 April 1918 – 30 September 1935
Preceded by	John Madden
Succeeded by	Frederick Mann
Attorney-General of Australia
In office 24 June 1913 – 17 September 1914
Prime Minister	Joseph Cook
Preceded by	Billy Hughes
Succeeded by	Billy Hughes
Premier of Victoria
In office 10 June 1902 – 16 February 1904
Governor	George Clarke Reginald Talbot
Preceded by	Alexander Peacock
Succeeded by	Thomas Bent
Member of the Australian Parliament for Division of Flinders
In office 12 December 1906 – 5 April 1918
Preceded by	James Gibb
Succeeded by	Stanley Bruce
Personal details
Born	(1858-07-06)6 July 1858 Newry, County Down, Ireland
Died	20 August 1943(1943-08-20) (aged 85) Toorak, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Liberal (federal)
Spouse	Agnes Wanliss ​ (m. 1891)​
Relations	John Mitchel (uncle)
Alma mater	Trinity College, Dublin University of Melbourne.
Profession	Barrister

Sir William Hill Irvine GCMG (6 July 1858 – 20 August 1943) was an Australian politician and judge. He served as Premier of Victoria (1902–1904), Attorney-General of Australia (1913–1914), and Chief Justice of Victoria (1918–1935).

Irvine was born in County Down, Ireland. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and the University of Melbourne, immigrating to Australia in 1879. He qualified as a barrister and was first elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1894. Appointed attorney-general of Victoria in 1899, Irvine succeeded Alexander Peacock as premier in 1902 with the backing of the National Citizens' Reform League and retained office after the 1902 state election. He carried out democratic reforms but attracted the enmity of the labour movement for his suppression of a railway strike in 1903, resigning as premier in 1904.

At the 1906 federal election, Irvine was elected to the seat of Flinders. He served as attorney-general in the Liberal government of Joseph Cook from 1913 to 1914, and during World War I was an advocate of conscription and leading campaigner in the 1916 referendum on overseas conscription. Irvine resigned from federal parliament in 1918 to become chief justice of Victoria. He served on the court until 1935 and as lieutenant-governor also served as acting governor of Victoria for nearly three years during the Great Depression.