William Thomas Appleton

William Thomas Appleton
Born	2 May 1859 Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Died	16 February 1930 Malvern, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Spouse	Elizabeth Jane Traill (27 April 1882)
Children	2 daughters 5 sons (eldest killed at Pozières in 1916)

William Thomas Appleton (1859–1930), was an Australian businessman, shipping agent and public servant. He was born on 2 May 1859 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. His father, Thomas Appleton was a bookbinder, and his mother was Mary (née Burnley).^[1]

In late 1859 the Appleton family visited a maternal uncle (William Burnley) who ran an import-export agency in the Port Phillip District, after which William Appleton returned to England and completed his education at Wharfdale College, Yorkshire. He then returned with his parents to Victoria in 1869 settling in Geelong, where he attended the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School in 1872–73.^[1]

He worked with his brother (Colonel) George Burnley Appleton (1850–1945) at his Geelong woolbroking firm. Later he was chairman of Huddart Parker & Co. Pty Ltd. Appleton joined this firm in Geelong c. 1884 becoming Manager in 1887, then moving to the Melbourne office. He joined the board of management in 1894 becoming managing director in 1898 and chairman of the company in 1910–30.^[1]

Whilst on the Harbour Trust, Appleton supported long-term plans for new dock construction. Appleton Dock on the north side of the Yarra River was named after him.^[2] During World War I Appleton held a number of temporary official posts. He died of cancer at his home in Malvern on 16 February 1930 leaving an estate of £131,323.^[1]

Industry achievements

• Founding Chairman of the Australasian Steamship Owners' Federation 1899–1903, chairman 1908, 1911–16, 1920–21, 1925–30
• Ship-owner Representative of the Melbourne Harbour Trust November 1906, chairman April 1911–1913, senior commissioner 1913–1930
• Council-member of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, President 1914–16
• President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Australia 1915–16, President of the Geelong branch
• Chairman of several shipping and colliery companies
• Director of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd.
• Trustee of the Geelong Savings Bank
• Founding Director of the Western and Wimmera Districts of Victoria Freezing Co. Ltd.
• Inaugural National Laboratory Conference 1916^[3]
• Negotiated for the creation of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

References

1. G. R. Henning, 'Appleton, William Thomas (1859–1930)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 4 April 2013.
2. Port of Melbourne, Maritime history History of the port
3. The Origins of CSIRO: Science and the Commonwealth Government 1901–1926, Csiro Publishing, 01/06/1966. Held on 5 Jan 1916, under auspices of Prime Minister Billy Hughes to create a National Laboratory for Australia – led to formation of {CSIRO} George Currie, John Graham.