William Thomas Appleton

William Thomas Appleton (1859–1930), was an Australian businessman, shipping agent and public servant. He was born on 2 May 1859 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. His father, Thomas Appleton was a bookbinder, and his mother was Mary (née Burnley).

In late 1859 the Appleton family visited a maternal uncle (William Burnley) who ran an import-export agency in the Port Phillip District, after which William Appleton returned to England and completed his education at Wharfdale College, Yorkshire. He then returned with his parents to Victoria in 1869 settling in Geelong, where he attended the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School in 1872–73. During World War I Appleton held a number of temporary official posts. He died of cancer at his home in Malvern on 16 February 1930 leaving an estate of £131,323. Negotiated for the formation of the CSIRO