Hughes, William Morris, 1862 – 1952

William Morris (Billy) Hughes (1862-1952), parliamentarian and Prime Minister of Australia, was born at London the son of William and Jane Hughes. He was educated in Wales and London and migrated to Australia in 1884. In 1890 he moved to Balmain and opened a small shop.

Hughes was elected a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of Sydney-Lang (1894-1901). He was elected a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seats of West Sydney (1901-1917, Bendigo (1917-1922), North Sydney (1922-1949) and Bradfield (1949-1952). He held a number of ministerial positions in the federal parliament including that of Prime Minister of Australia (1915-1923). [ref:ADB 9]