William Henry Timperley ISO (22 May 1833 - 11 August 1909) was an author, policeman and civil servant in Western Australia.

Timperley was educated at Shrewsbury School and in 1850 spent a year studying philosophy at the University of Berne, Switzerland before he immigrated to Australia in 1851 with his father and brother.

[1][6][7] Timperley joined the Western Australia Police Force in January 1856, initially serving as a constable in Perth and Toodyay before rising to sergeant in 1857, around the time he transferred to Bunbury as Officer in Charge.

He briefly became Acting Superintendent and Chief of Police from April to May 1871 before losing the contest for the permanent position to Matthew Skinner Smith.

[1] In 1873 Timperley returned to Champion Bay in October 1873[8]) remaining until he left the Police Force in August 1885 when he took up the posting of Superintendent of Rottnest Island.

He subsequently wrote Bush Luck and both were serialised in The Boy's Own Paper between 1887 and 1890, and later were published in London (1889 and 1892 respectively) in book form.

[6] Timperley stated the reason for writing Harry Treverton was to endeavour to let English people see what their sons might expect if they allowed them to come to the colonies with neither friends nor money.

In 'Bush Luck' I have tried to show the other side of the picture, and to illustrate how a lad with friends to advise, and a certain amount of money to assist him, may by dint of patience and industry win his way to independence.