Osbert Edrick Wilson (1857 – July 1901) was a clerk, poet, author, orator and a Chief President of the Australian Natives' Association.
Under his leadership the association launched its first great ‘public demonstration’ – mass meetings in the Ballarat and the Melbourne Town Halls in support of the Service government's campaign for British annexation of the New Hebrides.
He was a popular lecturer at ANA branches across the city, drawing large audiences to hear topics such as ‘Britain and her Colonies’ and the mildly republican ‘The Life of Oliver Cromwell’.
In an editorial in the ANA journal the Australian Wilson declared that: A race is growing up to whom the Old World is but a name for a state of Conservatism and armed terrorism, to whom the old racial and national distinctions are as nought … They will fight strenuously to keep their native land's shores free from pollution, and their forces and money from being dragged into foreign quarrels which to Australia are of little moment..[6] Aveling describes Wilson as "an Australian nationalist with a fierce radical dislike of British cant, cast and imperialism.
[7] The ANA Board with the support of Ballarat and 4 neighbouring ANA Branches called their first public meeting with a political objective in Ballarat's Alfred Hall "to strengthen the hand of the Service Government" in dealing with national questions of federation, annexation of Papua and proposed French recidivist transportation to New Caledonia.
Wilson was one of the attendees to a conference in 1887 to consider the creation of the ANA Metropolitan Committee[4] to improve social interaction between branches to promote the Association and Australia.