William Amiet
Encyclopedia
William Albert Amiet was an Australian writer and barrister.
Amiet was born at Murgheboluc near Geelong to farmer Edward William Amiet and Mary Ann, née Begley. He attended state school before studying at the University of Melbourne
, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts
in 1911 and a Master of Arts
in 1913. He settled in Queensland
, organising concerts by the Young Men's Christian Association for railway workers and teaching at Maryborough
Grammar School. In 1915 he moved to Brisbane
, and having acquired legal qualifications became a barrister in 1915. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
on 2 May 1916 and set sail for England in October, seeing active service in France
from June 1917. Commissioned on 1 August 1918, he was wounded at Bellicourt
in October and mentioned in despatches.
After the war Amiet studied at King's College, London for a short time before he returned to Brisbane on the termination of his appointment on 30 December 1919. On 17 December 1923 he married Agnes May Hurley at Mackay
, where he was in a legal partnership with Vincent Macrossan. He ran unsuccessfully for Herbert
as a Nationalist
in the 1929 federal election
. He wrote sporadically for the Mackay Daily Mercury for many years and in 1932 published Literature by Languages: A Roll Call, a survey of world literature. His later publications included A Shakespeare or Two (1935), The Practice of Literary History (1936), Courses in Literary History (1938), Scrambled Scrutinies (1949), and Metrical Diversions of a Sexagenarian (1952). Amiet's diverse interests included astronomy
and Australian literature. He opposed the White Australia policy
during the 1930s and gave his support to recruitment drives during World War II
. An agnostic, he died in 1959 at Mater Hospital, Mackay, of cardiorenal failure
. The Amiet Memorial Library in Mackay is named for him.
Amiet was born at Murgheboluc near Geelong to farmer Edward William Amiet and Mary Ann, née Begley. He attended state school before studying at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1911 and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts is a high academic degree offered at many universities in Europe and the United States.A Master of Arts, Magister Artium, or Magister in Artibus may also refer to:...
in 1913. He settled in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, organising concerts by the Young Men's Christian Association for railway workers and teaching at Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
Grammar School. In 1915 he moved to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and having acquired legal qualifications became a barrister in 1915. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
on 2 May 1916 and set sail for England in October, seeing active service in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from June 1917. Commissioned on 1 August 1918, he was wounded at Bellicourt
Bellicourt
Bellicourt is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.It lies on the N44 road between Cambrai and Saint-Quentin and over the principal tunnel of the St. Quentin Canal....
in October and mentioned in despatches.
After the war Amiet studied at King's College, London for a short time before he returned to Brisbane on the termination of his appointment on 30 December 1919. On 17 December 1923 he married Agnes May Hurley at Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, where he was in a legal partnership with Vincent Macrossan. He ran unsuccessfully for Herbert
Division of Herbert
The Division of Herbert is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. Eligible voters within the Division elect a single representative, known as the member for Herbert, to the Australian House of Representatives. The division was first contested at the 1901 election...
as a Nationalist
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
in the 1929 federal election
Australian federal election, 1929
Federal elections were held in Australia on 12 October 1929. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election, with no Senate seats up for election, as a result of Billy Hughes and other rebel backbenchers crossing the floor over industrial relations legislation, depriving the...
. He wrote sporadically for the Mackay Daily Mercury for many years and in 1932 published Literature by Languages: A Roll Call, a survey of world literature. His later publications included A Shakespeare or Two (1935), The Practice of Literary History (1936), Courses in Literary History (1938), Scrambled Scrutinies (1949), and Metrical Diversions of a Sexagenarian (1952). Amiet's diverse interests included astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and Australian literature. He opposed the White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
during the 1930s and gave his support to recruitment drives during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. An agnostic, he died in 1959 at Mater Hospital, Mackay, of cardiorenal failure
Cardiorenal syndrome
In medicine, the cardiorenal syndrome is a condition characterized by kidney failure and heart failure. The primarily failing organ may be either the heart or the kidney, and it is often this failing organ that precipitates failure of the other....
. The Amiet Memorial Library in Mackay is named for him.