William Highett
William Highett (1807 – 29 November 1880) was a banker and politician in colonial Victoria, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.[1]
Early life
Highett was born in Weymouth, Dorset, England, the son of Joseph Highett and his wife Elizabeth, née Harding.[2][1]
Colonial Australia
Along with his brother John, William Highett arrived in Hobart Town aboard the Elizabeth in February 1830.[2] The brothers acquired land in Van Diemen's Land.[2] William became first Melbourne manager of the Union Bank of Australia in 1838 and in 1840 became a local director with the title of managing director.[2]
On 29 August 1853 Highett was nominated to the unicameral Victorian Legislative Council along with several others due to the expansion of the Council.[3] Highett held this position until the original Council was abolished in March 1856.[1] After an unsuccessful candidacy in 1856,[1] Highett was elected to Eastern Province in the new Council (now the upper house) in April 1857,[4] after successfully petitioning the incumbent, William Kaye, for bribery.[5] Highett held the seat until September 1880.[1]
Highett owned land in the Moorabbin Shire, part of which was named Highett after him.[2] Highett died in Richmond, Victoria on 29 November 1880.[1] He never married.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Highett, William". Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Hone, J. Ann. "Highett, William (1807–1880)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ^ Labilliere, Francis Peter (1878). "Early History of the Colony of Victoria". Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ^ "Melbourne". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 4 May 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 24 August 2014. report from Melbourne 30 April 1857
- ^ "The Eastern Province Election". Ovens and Murray Advertiser. Beechworth, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 21 April 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 24 August 2014.