William Bates (Australian politician)

The Hon William Bates MLA (27 February 1825 – 12 January 1891) was a politician in colonial Victoria, Australia.

In 1852 the gold discoveries tempted him to Victoria, where he went into business at Sandhurst, and after four years' successful trading, removed to Melbourne, where he had a prosperous career as a general merchant.

In 1868 he was returned to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Collingwood as a supporter of the Darling Grant, defeating no less a candidate than the Hon James Service.

He was Minister of Public Works in the M'Culloch Government from April 1870 to June 1871, but did not re-enter Parliament after 1874, though he contested for the districts of Fitzroy (1877) and Collingwood again (1880).

That movement was so successful that close upon £48,000 was raised, and the denomination was able to pay off the debts on all its churches in the colony.