William George Mills
William George James Mills, generally referred to as W. G. Mills, was a sheep breeder and politician in South Australia.
History
William was born at "Millbrae", Native Valley, near Nairne, South Australia, the son of Richard Mills the younger. He was educated at Nairne public school and Rev. A. Law's grammar school at Mount Barker. He gained experience as a jackaroo for Robert Browne, manager of Winnininnie Station in the north of the State. He took over his father's farm around 1880 and continued breeding Merino sheep with some success, purchasing valuable rams from Alick J. Murray, and expanded the farm from, including "Bondleigh" farm, later held by his eldest son, W. Champion Mills.In 1928 he took on his son Alec Mills as partner in "Millbrae". He purchased another property, in the Adelaide Hills, which he named "Sturtbrae", which was later subdivided as Bellevue Heights by his daughters Margaret and May.
Politics
He was in 1915 a foundation member of the Farmers and Settlers' Association, and for five years its president. This Association was to become the nucleus of the Country Party in South Australia. In 1918 he successfully stood for a Northern district seat in the South Australian Legislative Council, and held that seat until 1933, when he declined to stand due to poor health.Family
He married Elizabeth Martha "Lizzie" Champion on 19 July 1882; they had five sons and four daughters:- Everlina married Hugh Ross Patterson on 12 April 1906.
- W. Champion Mills
- R Surguy Mills married Barbara Mary
- Jack Mills fought with the 11th Battalion in World War I and died in Rouen of war injuries.
- May Mills OBE, teacher at Unley High School
- Margaret Mills, nursing sister at Port Augusta Hospital
- Alec Mills married Phoebe M. Blacket on 29 October 1919.
- Thomas Bruce Mills enlisted for overseas service, but died in Adelaide of meningitis, complication of measles.
- Lizzie married Ron Loveday of Renmark on 27 August 1924.