Bill Wentworth
A fiercely independent Australian politician who spent decades as a maverick voice for technological progress and Aboriginal rights.
1907–2003 (age 96)·Australian politician·Birthday: September 8·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bill Wentworth, scion of a famous Australian family, carved a political path that was stubbornly his own. Elected to parliament in 1949, he served for nearly three decades as the member for the affluent Sydney seat of Mackellar, but his true home was on the crossbench of his own mind. A Liberal in name, he was a constant irritant to his party's leadership, crossing the floor to vote against them over 150 times. His ministerial tenure was marked by an early, passionate focus on Aboriginal affairs and social services, though his ideas often outran the political will of the era. Wentworth was a visionary for science funding and computing, earning the nickname 'the father of Australian computing,' and his final act was to quit the Liberals and sit as an independent, a fitting end for a man who answered only to his own conscience.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bill was born in 1907, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1907
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1907Born
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Started school
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1920Became a teenager
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Could drive
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1925Could vote
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Turned 21
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1937Turned 30
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 40
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 50
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 60
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 70
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 80
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
2003Died at 96
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Key Achievements
- Served as Australia's first Minister in charge of Aboriginal Affairs from 1968 to 1971.
- Was a pivotal early advocate for government investment in computing and science, establishing the Australian Computer Society.
- Represented the electorate of Mackellar for 28 years, from 1949 until his retirement in 1977.
- Crossed the floor to vote against his own Liberal Party more than any other MP of his time.
Did You Know?
He was the great-great-grandson of William Charles Wentworth, a key figure in early Australian colonial history.
Wentworth spent his final months in parliament sitting as an independent after resigning from the Liberal Party.
He was a champion of decimal currency and the metric system in Australia.
His full name was William Charles Wentworth IV, continuing a prominent family lineage.
“A nation that forgets its past has no future worth defending.”
