William McWilliams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Leader of the Country Party | |
| In office 24 February 1920 – 5 April 1921 | |
| Deputy | Edmund Jowett |
| Succeeded by | Earle Page |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Franklin | |
| In office 17 November 1928 – 22 October 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred Seabrook |
| Succeeded by | Charles Frost |
| In office 16 December 1903 – 16 December 1922 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Seabrook |
| Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Ringarooma | |
| In office 1893–1900 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Hawkes |
| Succeeded by | Carmichael Lyne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 October 1856 Bream Creek, Colony of Tasmania, British Empire |
| Died | 22 October 1929 (aged 73) Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
| Cause of death | Angina |
| Political party | Revenue Tariff (1903–06) Anti-Socialist (1906–09) Liberal (1909–17) Nationalist (1917–20; 1922–28) Country (1920–22) Independent (1928–29) |
| Spouse |
Josephine Fullerton (m. 1893) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
William James McWilliams (12 October 1856 – 22 October 1929) was an Australian politician who served as the inaugural leader of the Country Party, in office from 1920 to 1921. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1903 to 1922 and from 1928 to his death, on both occasions representing the Division of Franklin in Tasmania. He represented five different political parties during his time in parliament, eventually seeing out his final term as an independent.