William Senior (29 March 1838 – 7 October 1920) was an Anglo-Australian journalist, angler, "Chief Hansard Short Hand Writer", co-founder of Brisbane's famed Johnsonian Club, editor and writer of short stories, known also by his pen name "Red Spinner".

Senior became the first officially appointed Principal Short Hand writer for the Parliament of Queensland's Hansard (record of proceedings).

[2] He had by then served ten years as a special correspondent and parliamentary reporter for the London Daily News and London special reporter for the Manchester Examiner when he was employed (on the instigation of Queensland's Colonial Secretary and Premier, Arthur Macalister and the Speaker, William Henry Walsh), as Queensland Parliament's first Short Hand Writer on 13 January 1876.

[3][4] Senior returned to England in April 1881 where he took up his old profession as a journalist on the Daily News[2] and editor.

He died in London on 7 October 1920,[4][5] and was buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery.