Dictionary of National Biography, 1927 supplement/Lyne, William John
LYNE, Sir WILLIAM JOHN, (1844–1913), Australian politician, the eldest son of John Lyne, of Gala, Cranbrook, Tasmania, by his wife, Lilias Cross Carmichael, daughter of James Hume, of Edinburgh, was born 6 April 1844. His political life was begun by his entering the legislative assembly of New South Wales in 1880. A strong believer in protection, he attained office as minister of public works in the ephemeral government of (Sir) George R. Dibbs at the close of 1885; a somewhat longer tenure of the same post followed under Sir Patrick Jennings (February 1886 to January 1887); and in the fifty-day government of Dibbs in January 1889 he was given the portfolio of public lands. It was not until Dibbs once again became premier in October 1891 that Lyne had an effective spell of office in charge of public works, a post which he retained until the ministry fell in August 1894. Five years of opposition followed, during which local politics were complicated by the emergence of the issue of federation, and by the hesitation of (Sir) George Houstoun Reid [q.v.] as premier to commit himself definitely to the movement, in view of the certainty that federation would spell disaster to free trade. Lyne's activity in opposition secured him the leadership on the retirement of (Sir) Edmund Barton [q.v.] from that position on 23 August 1899.
Owing to the carelessness of Reid in matters of finance, the ministry was brought down on a minor issue, and Lyne became premier and colonial treasurer of New South Wales on 14 September 1899. His tenure of this office was not prolonged, as he aimed at achieving a place in Commonwealth politics. As premier of the senior colony he was given by Lord Hopetoun, the governor-general, the opportunity of forming the first Commonwealth ministry; but it was impossible for him to secure sufficient support to do this, and he accepted office under Barton, as minister of home affairs, on 1 January 1901. On the resignation of Mr. C. C. Kingston he became, in August 1903, minister of trade and customs. He retained this portfolio in the ministry of Mr. A. Deakin [q.v.], formed on Sir E. Barton's resignation, which lasted until April 1904. In general sympathy with Labour, he observed a benevolent attitude towards the brief ministry of Mr. J. C. Watson which ensued on Deakin's defeat, and opposed the Reid-McLean coalition which ousted that ministry from office. When the second Deakin administration was formed by a fresh political shuffle in July 1905, he was given his former office. Two years later, when Sir John (afterwards Baron) Forrest [q.v.] parted company with Deakin, Lyne naturally obtained the vacant post of treasurer, which he retained until the fall of the ministry in November 1908. He was bitterly opposed to the coalition of Deakin's supporters with the party of Reid, which took place in 1909, and no place was found for him in the last Deakin administration. In 1911 he visited England, but his health was manifestly impaired, and he died at Sydney, New South Wales, on 3 August 1913.
Overshadowed in New South Wales politics by Reid and Barton, and in federal politics by Deakin, Lyne, who was created K.C.M.G. in 1900, was a man of pertinacious character, and capable of much hard, detailed work, as was shown in his elaboration of the customs tariff in 1907–1908. His views were somewhat narrowly Australian; he regarded an importer, even of British goods, as something of a traitor to Commonwealth industries; and he was a protagonist of the movement to compel British shipping to conform to Australian standards of manning and pay. But his visit to England for the Colonial Navigation Conference and the Colonial Conference of 1907 widened his outlook, and increased his appreciation of the imperial connexion.
Lyne married in 1870 Martha Coates (died 1903), eldest daughter of Edward Carr Shaw, formerly of Terenure, co. Dublin, and afterwards of Glamorgan, Tasmania. They had one son and three daughters.
[B. R. Wise, Making of the Australian Commonwealth, 1913; H. G. Turner, First Decade of the Australian Commonwealth, 1911; W. Murdoch, Alfred Deakin, 1923; New South Wales and Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates; Dictionary of Australasian Biography, 1892; personal knowledge.]