William Ah Ket

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William (Bill) Ah Ket (20 June 1876–6 August 1936) was a noted Australian barrister.[1]

He was born in Wangaratta, Victoria. He is noted for fighting against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against Australian-born Chinese.[2] He successfully opposed proposed legislative amendments in 1904, 1905 and 1907 which would have specifically discriminated against Chinese in the furniture industry. Ah Ket was a co-founder of the Australian-Chinese Association and the Victorian delegate to the opening of the Chinese national parliament in 1912. In 1913-14 and 1917 he acted as Consul-General for China in Melbourne.[3][4]

His daughter Malaan was the mother of the Australian guitarist John Williams.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Lack, John. Ah Ket, William (1876 - 1936). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
  2. ^ Furniture making. Chinese Heritage of Australia federation. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
  3. ^ Ah Ket, Toylaan (July 5 1995). William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936*. Chinese Heritage of Australia federationv. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
  4. ^ WILLIAM AH KET. National Museum of Australia, Canberra. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
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