William Russell

Who was William Russell?

William Russell was a Scottish-born Australian politician. Born in Lanarkshire, he was educated in Scotland before becoming a farm worker. Migrating to Australia in 1866, he became a solicitor in 1873 and farmed in South Australia. He served on the Caltowie and Carrieton district councils, and joined the Australian Labor Party in 1894. In 1895, he was elected to the South Australian Legislative Council; he departed the Council in 1900, winning the House of Assembly seat of Burra in 1901. He left the Assembly in 1902. In 1906, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for South Australia. He died in 1912, necessitating an appointment to replace him; the South Australian Parliament, controlled by the Liberal Party, successfully installed Liberal John Shannon, the first instance when a Senator of a different party was appointed.