Frederick Henry Piesse

Frederick Henry Piesse, CMG (6 December 185329 June 1912) was a farmer, businessman and politician who is credited with much of the early development of the region around Katanning, Western Australia.

Piesse was born at Northam, Western Australia, on 6 December 1853. The son of policeman and magistrate William Roper Piesse and Elizabeth Ellen née Oxley, Arnold and Charles Piesse, all of whom followed Frederick into politics. Piesse was educated at state schools at Guildford and Northam, and began his working life at the Northam general store. Later he went pearl fishing at Shark Bay between 1872 and 1875. He was postmaster and telegraphist at Williams between 1875 and 1880. On 18 October 1877 he married Mary Jane Elizabeth Chipper, with whom he had four sons and a daughter.

From 1880 onwards, Piesse became increasingly involved in public affairs. He was a member of the Williams Road Board from 1880 to 1889, and its chairman from 1886. From 1 April 1896 to 23 August 1900, he was Commissioner for Railways and Director of Public Works in the Forrest Ministry. He was a Western Australian delegate to the Federal Convention of 1897, and for a period in 1900 he was Acting Premier of Western Australia. During George Leake's first premiership from June to November 1901, Piesse was Leader of the Opposition.

He died at Katanning on , and was buried in Katanning Cemetery.

A son, Harold, was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council, while a nephew, Edmund Piesse was a Senator for Western Australia.