William Lane Milligan

William Lane Milligan (1795–1851) was a British military surgeon. He became an early resident of the Swan River Colony in Western Australia.

Early life Milligan was born on 1 February 1795 in Cavan, Ireland. He received a Licentiate of Midwifery and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Edinburgh.

Career He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and served as a military surgeon.

The painting "The Foundation of Perth 1829" shows Milligan as being present at the foundation of Perth on 12 August 1829. However, if he only arrived in Perth on 30 January 1830, more than five months after the foundation ceremony, he cannot have been present. He moved to Fremantle in 1834, but was then transferred to India and left on Merope on 18 April 1834. He was Staff Surgeon at Poonamallee, near Madras (Chennai) in 1837.

In 1837 Milligan published a paper in the Madras Journal of Literature and Science titled "Some Account of the New Colony of Western Australia".

Milligan retired from the army in 1847 due to ill health, and lived in Nuneaton, England.

Personal life He married Elizabeth Sybil Lane in 1823. They had four children: Anna, William, Harriet, Maria. The last three were born in the colony; William lived only four days.

Death He died on 2 September 1851 in London, England.