William Australia Graham

William Australia Graham (22 November 1841 – 9 May 1916) was a New Zealand surveyor, mediator, farmer, politician and mayor. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 22 November 1841, the third son of George Graham. He went to Clewer House School, Windsor, and Hele's School, Exeter and returned home in 1854.

William was a Government surveyor, and produced a plan for Hamilton East in 1864, just after the invasion of the Waikato. In 1865 his father was instructed to contact Wiremu Tamihana. William acted as interpreter for General Carey, leading to Wiremu's submission to the Queen and acquiescence to the invasion of the Waikato. King Mahuta presented him with a patu parāoa, in recognition of his mediation. In 1887 he advocated for fair treatment of Māori land.

From the mid-1860s to 1882, he and his brother, Samuel, developed over at Tamahere, on former Ngāti Haua land. In 1882 he was secretary of Waikato Farmers' Cooperative and, from 1884, chairman of the North New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association, formed to establish a sugar beet industry. He influenced Julius Vogel to introduce the Beet-root Sugar Act 1884.

On 5 March 1872 William married Alice, eldest daughter of Walter Coombes, of the shipping company Coombes and Daldy. That day ships in Auckland harbour were decorated with bunting. Their 3 sons and 6 daughters included a son born on 11 February 1897, Alice Australia Buckleton, Hilda Herberta Blanche Hume, Mrs J. H. Hume, Mrs C. L. & Mrs A. C. Macdiarmid. and Cedric Kenny Onslow Graham, who was born on 21 December 1889 and died on 16 September 1916 at the battle of the Somme, having ignored his father's advice to come home. Alice shared her husband's interest in the Anglican church and charitable work. to 1876 and was elected Mayor of Hamilton on 27 November 1884, by 84 votes to 56. As mayor he gained Hamilton of endowments from the government. when he was insulted by a request for a public meeting to review a decision. still used by Waikato Hospital. run by Mrs Watts, built on what had been Ngāti Wairere's Kirikiriroa pā. a magistrate (1893) and continued his church work.

He was reported as having a lengthy illness in 1904. He was badly injured in a horse and buggy accident