William Propsting

William Bispham Propsting, CMG (4 June 1861 – 3 December 1937) was an Australian lawyer and politician. He served as premier of Tasmania from 1903 to 1904. He was a member of the parliament of Tasmania for over 35 years and also served terms as Attorney-General of Tasmania and president of the Tasmanian Legislative Council.

Early life Propsting was born in Hobart on 4 June 1861. He was the son of Hannah (née Cater) and Henry Propsting. His father had been transported to Van Diemen's Land as a convict in 1831 for stealing geese. He went on to become a successful merchant and an alderman of the City of Hobart, also reputedly fathering 26 children.

Propsting attended the Derwent School in Hobart run by F. V. Norman. He moved to South Australia in 1879 and began working as a pupil-teacher. He attended the Teachers' Training College and University of Adelaide. He subsequently taught at the Sturt Street School in Adelaide and the state schools in Kapunda and Burra. In 1886, Propsting return to Hobart and commenced studying law as an articled clerk under C. H. Elliston and C. E. Featherstone. He was admitted to the bar in 1892.

Political career

In February 1899 Propsting entered politics as member for Hobart in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, and in August 1901 was elected leader of the opposition. He became premier and treasurer on 9 April 1903, his party being known as the liberal democratic party. He succeeded in re-organising the education department and established a training college at Hobart, but most of his party's attempts to bring in democratic legislation were blocked by the Tasmanian Legislative Council. Propsting resigned on 11 July 1904 and was leader of the opposition until December 1905. He was then elected a member of the legislative council, and in May 1906 joined the Sir John W. Evans ministry as attorney-general and minister for education. This ministry resigned in June 1909. From April 1916 to August 1922 Propsting was attorney-general and minister for railways in Sir W. H. Lee's ministry, and was attorney-general in the Hayes ministry which succeeded it until August 1923. He was elected president of the legislative council in July 1926 and held this position with distinction until his death at Hobart on 3 December 1937.

Personal life In 1893, Propsting married Caroline Emma Coles, the daughter of South Australian politician Sir Jenkin Coles, despite her father's initial disapproval. The couple had three children. He was widowed in 1923 and remarried in 1925 to Lilias Macfarlane. He died at his home in Hobart on 3 December 1937, aged 76.