William Albany McKenzie

{{Use Australian English|date=March 2016}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Bill McKenzie

|honorific-suffix = AO

|image =

|office3 = Administrator of Christmas Island

|term_start3 = 25 February 1990

|term_end3 = 2 May 1991

|predecessor3 = Don Taylor

|successor3 = Michael Grimes

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|5|21|df=y}}

|birth_place = Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|5|2|1928|5|21|df=y}}

|death_place =

}}

William Albany "Bill" McKenzie AO (21 May 1928 – 2 May 1991) was an Australian local government politician and public servant from Western Australia. He served as Mayor of Fremantle from 1972 to 1984, head of the Western Australian Planning Commission from 1985 to 1989, and Administrator of Christmas Island (an Australian external territory) from 1990 until his death.

McKenzie was born in Fremantle, and was raised in a house on South Street, Beaconsfield.[http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/PrintSingleRecord/7367c78e-b5fa-4a93-a3dd-75a42efec244 HOUSE, 102 SOUTH STREET], Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 4 February 2017. He suffered from polio as a child, and carried his left arm in a sling for the rest of his life.{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Ron |date=2008 |title=Fremantle Impressions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IQaSopJrM_QC |publisher=Fremantle Press|page=154|isbn=9781921361470 }} McKenzie trained as a pharmacist, and eventually acquired his own business in Fremantle. He was elected to the Fremantle City Council in 1965,[http://fremantlestuff.info/council/councillors.html Fremantle City Councillors], Fremantle Stuff. Retrieved 4 February 2017. and in 1972 replaced Sir Frederick Samson as mayor.[http://fremantlestuff.info/council/mayors.html City Council Mayors], Fremantle Stuff. Retrieved 4 February 2017. McKenzie continued Samson's emphasis on heritage protection during his term in office. He had control of the Round House (Western Australia's oldest building) passed from the Fremantle Port Authority to the City of Fremantle,[http://fremantlestuff.info/fhs/newsletter/2011summer.pdf Fremantle History Society newsletter], Summer 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2017. and also had the West End listed on Register of the National Estate.

McKenzie was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 1983 Australia Day Honours, for "service to local government and to the community".[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/882734 MCKENZIE, William Albany], It's An Honour. Retrieved 4 February 2017. After finishing his term as mayor in 1984, he was appointed chairman of the Metropolitan Region Planning Authority (MRPA). The following year, the MRPA and several other bodies were merged to create the State Planning Commission, of which McKenzie was also appointed chairman.{{cite book|author=Phillips, Harry|chapter=The Modern Parliament, 1965–1989|year=1991|title=The House on the Hill: A History of the Parliament of Western Australia 1832–1990|editor=Black, David|location=Perth, Western Australia|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|page=237|isbn=0-7309-3983-9}} After finishing his three-year term, he took up an appointment as Administrator of Christmas Island, one of Australia's territories in the Indian Ocean. He succeeded Don Taylor in the position in February 1990.[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Christmas_Island.html Christmas Island], World Statesmen.org. Retrieved 4 February 2017. McKenzie died in May 1991, aged 62.[http://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/details.php?id=FC00019733 Summary Of Record Information], Metropolitan Cemeteries Board. Retrieved 4 February 2017.{{Cite Q |Q42333722 |year=1991 |title=Death index entry for William Albany McKenzie |id=101937 |access-date=2024-03-09}}

See also

References