William Henry Corfield

William Henry Corfield (1843–1927) was a carrier, publican, storekeeper and politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Early life William Henry Corifield was born at Yeovil, Somerset, England in 1843, the son of James and Ann (née Pitfield) Corfield. In 1864 he travelled overland to Clifton Station on the Cloncurry River where he worked. In 1867, he tried his luck on the Cape River goldfields but was unsuccessful.

Politics At the 1888 elections, he was returned unopposed for the Legislative Assembly seat of Gregory in western Queensland in support of Thomas McIlwraith, a conservative, and held it at the 1893 and 1896 elections against a growing Labour vote. At a time when party politics were still fairly fluid in Queensland, he strongly advocated for the interests of his own electorate even when it conflicted with the conservative parliamentary bloc's policies. He opposed the 1891 strikes as a "revolution against the state", and was a consistent advocate of Federation. He was instrumental in establishing the Winton Branch Railway which connected Winton to Hughenden on the Great Northern Railway line to Townsville.

Later life In 1921, Corfield published his memoirs "Reminiscences of Queensland, 1862–1899".

For the last several years of his life, Corfield lived in "Walmer", Yundah Street, Sandgate, Brisbane.

Legacy The town of Corfield in Western Queensland was named after him.

The Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store continued to trade until 1987. It was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. In 1994 it was reopened as Winton's visitor centre.