William Sandford (26 September 1841 – 29 May 1932) was an English-Australian ironmaster, who is widely regarded as the father of the modern iron and steel industry in Australia.

At the time of his first involvement in the colonial iron industry, his later views on providing import protection and increasing local manufacturing were already formed.

He bought a 2000 acre property at Bowenfels, to the west of Lithgow, and added a second story to the existing house, creating an 11-room home, which he later named 'Eskroy Park' In 1892, Sandford purchased the Eskbank Ironworks, using money loaned by the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, and was given a government contract in railway parts.

A growing force was the Labor Party; it somewhat favoured protection, as a means to maintain relatively high wages, but also advocated nationalisation of major industries, complicating its policy toward enterprises like Sandford's.

[11][12][13] Largely as a result of this experience, Sandford became an implacable opponent of Reid, and stood unsuccessfully, in 1896, as the protectionist candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Hartley.

[17] With Federation, in 1901, tariffs and duties between the colonies were abolished and the matter of import protection came one for the new Commonwealth of Australia to decide at a national level.

With the election of a Protectionist minority government in the new Australian House of Representative, Sandford became optimistic that protection for the iron and steel industry would be forthcoming.

[22] He returned in June 1902, with news that he would raise £750,000 of British capital and float a new company, Australasian Iron and Steel Corporation Limited, and hosted an English visitor associated with these plans.

[29] Sandford had begun to face financial difficulties due to rising costs, uncertain markets and scarcity of material, and—in his own view—the absence of protection against import competition.

He lived at an estate known as 'Eskroy Park' near Bowenfels, and his ownership of a colliery and land sales in Lithgow gave him income that was more reliable than that coming from the ironworks.

Premier Joseph Carruthers (a Free Trader) persuaded him to agree to William Sandford Limited contracting to supply all of the New South Wales Government's needs for iron and steel, for a seven year period, in 1905.

[36][37][38][39] As part of the same expansion, a new 15-ton Open Hearth furnace was added to make steel from the pig-iron,[37] a new fishplate mill commenced operation in 1906, and a short rail branch line laid to the iron ore mine at Coombing Park near Carcoar.

[44] That arrangement did not really relieve the enormous financial pressure on Sandford personally; it tied his fate more closely to that of the company bearing his name and its ability to fulfill its government contract.

These negotiations went on for 20 months, with Lysaghts prepared to provide most of the necessary capital, but finally broke down over Sandford's insistence of remaining in absolute control.

[48] His compulsion to retain personal control is difficult to understand, given his advancing age; he seems to have been hoping that one of his sons could take the helm, if he had more time, or perhaps he was obsessed with delivering his grand vision himself.

William Sandford Limited needed working capital (£25,000) just to continue operation and cash (£45,000) to complete the enhancements to the plant.

It was apparent, by the end of November 1907, that the company was failing to meet deliveries under the Government's seven year iron and steel contract.

[59][60] The final form of the legislation alarmed the bank, which then withdrew its tentative agreement to support Sandford, demanded full repayment of the overdraft amount,[61] and took over the assets on 9 December 1907.

Other discussions took place, concerning the future of the works, between the bank, the N.S.W Government, and the firm of G & C Hoskins, and a plan was formulated, without Sandford's involvement.

Summing up his position he stated, " I have only the satisfaction of knowing that the object of my life has been attained, and I have demonstrated that good merchantable pig iron can be made from the Australian raw materials".

[81] When the subsequent owners, G & C Hoskins attempted to change these employment arrangements to day labour, it began a series of bitter and sometimes violent strikes and lock outs lasting almost four years.

[82][69] Sandford expressed frustration that he had been forced to set up an iron and steel industry "without duties or a bonus"—something he himself saw as an impossibility—and he believed himself to have failed.

[19] His greatest achievement was to operate and expand the Eskbank Ironworks at Lithgow, between 1887 and 1907—first as lessee and from 1892 as owner—albeit that, in the end, it fell to others to make it viable.

[90][91][92] The collection of the Powerhouse Museum, includes an iron pig, cast on the day that Sandford's blast furnace was opened.

William Sandford was, in many ways, a very unusual person; an industrialist who felt more at home with nature;[97] a capitalist just as concerned for his workers' wages as his own personal fortune;[98][99] a businessman comfortable with a Labor government[100] and state ownership of industry;[77][98] someone wracked by self doubt and inner turmoil,[48] but who was well respected and liked, almost universally;[99] someone honourable but still capable of deceit on occasion;[44] someone proud of his ability to recruit talented, knowledgeable, and loyal people, but who became obsessive about retaining personal control,[47] and a visionary who lacked confidence in ultimate success but nonetheless pursued it, almost to the point of self destruction.

[117]The eldest Australian-born child was his daughter, Clarice Adele Sandford (b.1885 d.1977)—a pupil of Julian Ashton[118]—who studied in London and became an artist;[117][119][120][121][122] she appears to have been a travelling companion and a carer for her parents in their old age.

John came out to Lithgow with his wife and lived there for a number of years, while employed as the ironworks manager, causing some tension in the family.

[154] John was a director of William Sandford Limited and acting works manager, around the time that the company finally failed.

[127] William Sandford died on 29 May 1932, aged 90, at his home, 'Iona', 16 Ethel Street, Eastwood, only months after the last of the Lithgow steelworks operations finally closed.

[116][155] Sandford's modest grave lies in the Anglican section of the Macquarie Park (formerly Northern Suburbs General) Cemetery.