Bill Neilson

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix = The Hon.
name = Bill Neilson
honorific-suffix = AC


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small

caption =
order = 34th
office = Premier of Tasmania
term_start = 31 March 1975
term_end = 1 December 1977
birth_date = Birth date|1925|8|27
birth_place = Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
death_date = Death date and age|1989|11|9|1925|8|27
death_place = Hobart
nationality = flagicon|Australia Australian
party = Australian Labor Party
predecessor = Eric Reece
successor = Doug Lowe
constituency = Franklin
spouse = Jill Benjamin
relations =
children =
residence =
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occupation =
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William Arthur (Bill) Neilson AC (27 August 1925 - 9 November 1989) was Premier of Tasmania from 1975 to 1977.

Born in Hobart, Tasmania, and educated at Ogilvie High School, Neilson became a clerk, and married Jill Benjamin, daughter of Phyllis Benjamin, in Melbourne in 1948, they had one son Andrew and three daughters, Christine, Carol and Robin.

Neilson was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly on 23 November 1946 at the age of 21. For many years he was not only the youngest MHA to be elected in Tasmania [ [http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/History/tasparl/neilsonw487.htm Tasmanian Parliamentary biography] , Government of Tasmania, 24 November 2005.] , but also the youngest person to be elected to any Australian parliament. [ [http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn42.htm Parliamentary Library: Australian Political Records] ]

He held various ministerial portfolios, from Tourism in 1956 to Attorney-General. He was Minister for Education for over ten years from 1958 to 1969, and again from 1972 to 1974. He was made Attorney-General again on 12 April 1974, and five days later was also made Deputy Premier, Police Minister and Environment Minister. [ [http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/History/tasparl/haministersp2.htm Ministers - House of Assembly - 1950 to 1989] , 24 January 2006.] When the Premier, Eric Reece was forced to retire due to his age, Neilson was elected Tasmanian leader of the ALP, and Premier of Tasmania on 31 March 1975. He resigned as premier, and from parliament, on 1 December 1977.

After his term as premier, Neilson accepted the position as Agent-General for Tasmania in London. In the 1980s, he wrote as a theatre critic for "The Mercury" newspaper in Hobart.

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