Name William Jolly Party United Australia Party Resigned August 21, 1943 | Nationality Australian Children Seven sons Role Australian Politician Succeeded by James Hadley | |
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Occupation Law clerk, accountant, public servant Spouse Lillie Moorhouse (m. 1907) | ||
William Alfred Jolly CMG (11 September 1881, Spring Hill, Brisbane – 30 May 1955, Windsor, Brisbane) was an Australian politician who was the Mayor of the Town of Windsor from 1918 to 1923, the first Lord Mayor of the Greater Brisbane City Council from 1925 to 1931, and a member of the Australian Parliament for the Division of Lilley from 1937 to 1943.
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Public life
In 1914, he began to practice as a public accountant. Upon the establishment of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia Jolly was elected a member of the first Board. He was the director of the National Bank of Australia after it merged with the Queensland National Bank. He was concillor of Kings College at the University of Queensland, a member of the Board for the YMCA and a long-term member of the Brisbane Rotary Club.
He was elected an alderman of the Windsor Town Council in 1912, becoming the Mayor between 1918 and 1923.
In 1937 and 1940, he stood and was elected the UAP member for the Federal Division of Lilley. William Jolly retired from politics following his defeat in the 1943 general election. During his time as Lord Mayor, Jolly was responsible for many civic developments, especially the arterial road network in Brisbane. The Grey Street Bridge (renamed the William Jolly Bridge shortly after his death) was built during his time in office. On 6 April 2013, William Jolly's grandson Warren Jolly was a guest speaker at the reopening of the newly refurbished Brisbane City Hall, which was first opened by William Jolly on 8 April 1930.
Personal life
William Jolly was born on 11 September 1881 at Spring Hill, Brisbane, the son of Alexander Jolly, a gardener from Scotland, and his Irish wife Mary Kelly. His father was the gardener at the Glen Lyon Estate in Ashgrove. Later his father became the landscape gardener of the Ithaca Town Council and created the parkland surrounding the Ithaca War Memorial and the Ithaca Embankments (both of which are now heritage-listed).
Jolly was described as a family man who was active in church activities. He attended Ashgrove State School. He began working as law clerk with at a small law firm and then moved to the larger Atthow & MacGregor while studying accountancy. On 8 January 1907, he married Lillie Maude Moorhouse and had a total of seven sons.