Sir William Walkley | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Gaston Walkley (1896-11-01)1 November 1896 |
| Died | 12 April 1976(1976-04-12) (aged 79) Manly, New South Wales, Australia |
| Citizenship | Australia, New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Accountant, executive |
| Known for | Oil exploration |
| Board member of | Associated Motorists' Petrol Ampol (1939-1967) Pool Petroleum RW Miller (1962-1963) Thiess (1963-1967) Stellar Mining NL |
| Spouse(s) | Marjory (1919-?) Theresa (1945-1976) |
| Parent(s) | Herbert Walkley Jessie Walkley née Gaston |
Sir William Gaston WalkleyCBE[1][2] (1 November 1896 – 12 April 1976) was a New Zealandoil companyexecutive.[3] Walkley was a founder of Australian oil companyAmpol and was credited with being one of the early pioneers in opening up theNorth West Australia tooil exploration.[3] In 1956 he instituted theWalkley Awards, the premier award for excellence in Australian journalism.[4]
Walkley was born inŌtaki, New Zealand, on 1 November 1896 to Herbert and Jessie Walkley, who wereBritishimmigrants. He spent most of his early life close toPalmerston North, where his father worked as adraper.[3]
In 1917 Walkley enlisted in theNew Zealand Expeditionary Force, getting as far as England. Due to ill-health and the end of the war he did not see action inWorld War I. He was discharged in 1920 having reached the rank of temporary warrant officer.[3]
He was first married at aregistry office inAndover, Hampshire, England in July 1919 to Marjory Ponting; this marriage soon ended in divorce. In 1945 he married Theresa May Stevens, adivorcee who had been his secretary, at St Stephens Presbyterian Church inSydney. His marriage to Teresa lasted until his death in 1976.[3]
On returning to New Zealand from England Walkley applied to become an associate of the New Zealand Society of Accountants and starting a practice inHāwera in 1922.[3]
In 1931, with Hawera car dealer William Arthur O'Callaghan and a series ofNorth Island businessman including theTodd Family, Walkley was a co-founder of the Associated Motorists' Petrol Co. Ltd with the aim of providing customers a cheaper local alternative to the foreign oil companies. The company soldpetrol under theEuropa brand.[3]
In 1935 Walkley and O'Callaghan with the support of theNew Zealand Automobile Association and a consortium of New Zealand businessman lobbied theNRMA in NSW to offer to repeat in Australia the model used by Europa. While the NRMA did not endorse this venture, key members of the NRMA board, including former AustralianPrime MinisterChris Watson (who became the first chairman), did join the new venture Australian Motorists Petroleum Co. Ltd which traded asAmpol.[5]
Walkley was managing director of the company from 1939 until he retired in 1963.[3][6]
In 1953 after striking oil at Rough Range nearExmouth, Walkley walked downPitt Street,Sydney in a redten gallon hat, stopping traffic. At the spudding of Rough Range he had promised to wear the hat, which had been given to him by journalists inCarnarvon, once oil had been struck.[7][8][9]
In 1954 Ampol named its first oil tankerMV William G. Walkley after Walkley.[10][11]
In 1958, his portrait was painted byWilliam Pidgeon. It is in the collection of theNational Portrait Gallery.[12]
In 1960 Walkley joined the board of theRoyal New South Wales Institution for Deaf & Blind Children, becoming president in 1965. During the late 1960s Walkley heavily lobbied state governments across Australia in an attempt to fund a school for deaf-blind children. Walkley remained president until his death.[3]
In 1947 Walkley established theAmpol Tournament. By the mid-1950s it had become the richest tournament outside theUnited States. Walkley in 1957 became the Australian representative on the International Golf Association. He was responsible for having theCanada Cup tournament held atRoyal Melbourne Golf Club in 1959.[3]
Walkley, withSir Frank Packer, Richard Dickson,Bill Northam and Noel Foley, was a member of the ownership syndicate of the1962 America's Cup challengerGretel.[13][14][15]
Between 1963 and 1970 Walkley was president of theAustralian Soccer Federation. As president he was involved in Australia's reentry to world football after being banned byFIFA. He stated that soccer had a role in bringing Australians together saying that it was "the sport that could do most to bring old and new Australians together and aid the newcomers’ assimilation".[3][16]
In 1966 Walkley became the inaugural president of theOceania Football Confederation. He served in this role until 1970.[3][17][18]
In 1956 Walkley founded theWalkley Awards for excellence in Australian journalism.[4][19][20]
Walkley remained involved in presenting the awards until the year before his death despite his ill health. At the 1975 awards he attended in a wheelchair.[21][22]
Walkley was the great nephew ofThe Times literary critic Arthur Walkley.[23] It has been suggested his love of journalists came from this familial connection.[20]
Walkley in 1960 became aCommander of the Order of the British Empire for services to industry inNew South Wales.[1] He was made aKnight Bachelor in 1967.[2]
For his service toassociation football he was in 1999 posthumously inducted into the thenFootball Australia Hall of Fame.[24]
The Walkley Pathway inWest Ryde, Sydney is named in his honour.[25]
