{{short description|Australian politician}} {{For|the English footballer|Bill Sayer}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = |name = William Sayer |honorific_suffix = KC |image = William Sayer.png |image_size = 140px |office = Attorney-General of Western Australia |premier = George Throssell |term_start = 25 March |term_end = 27 May 1901 |predecessor = Richard Pennefather |successor = George Leake |office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly<br/>of Western Australia |constituency2 = Claremont |term_start2 = 24 April 1901 |term_end2 = 26 May 1902 |predecessor2 = None {{Small|(new seat)}} |successor2 = John Foulkes |birth_date = {{Birth date|1857|12|3|df=yes}} |birth_place = London, England |death_date = {{Death date and age|1943|2|26|1857|12|3|df=yes}} |death_place = Darlington, Western Australia, Australia }} '''William Frederic Sayer''' KC (3 December 1857 – 26 February 1943) was an Australian lawyer and politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1901 to 1902. He was attorney-general in the short-lived government of George Throssell.
Sayer was born in London, and attended the University College School before going on to study law. He came to Western Australia in 1890 to work as a legal adviser to the Midland Railway Company. He later worked for the colonial government, serving as a secretary in the Law Department and then as Commissioner of Titles from 1898 to 1901 (a position in the Department of Lands and Surveys).<ref name="bio">[http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/89DC1402EC0C5A5C482577E50028A7AE?OpenDocument William Frederic Sayer] – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2016.</ref> In March 1901, despite not being a member of parliament, Sayer was appointed attorney-general in the ministry of George Throssell (succeeding Richard Pennefather).<ref>[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/33202360 "THE ATTORNEY-GENERALSHIP."], ''The Western Mail'', 30 March 1901.</ref>
At the 1901 state election, a month after being elevated to the ministry, Sayer won the newly created seat of Claremont.<ref name="res">{{cite book|last=Black|first=David|authorlink=David Black (historian)|last2=Prescott|first2=Valerie|title=Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996|year=1997|publisher=Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission|location=Perth, [W.A.]|isbn=0730984095}}</ref> However, at the same election, Throssell's government lost its majority, eventually leading to its demise in May 1901. Sayer was replaced as attorney-general by the new premier, George Leake. He remained in parliament for only another year, resigning in May 1902 to accept the position of chief parliamentary draughtsman. In December 1902, Sayer was appointed crown solicitor (equivalent to Solicitor-General) in succession to Robert Bruce Burnside, a position which he held until his retirement in 1930. He died in February 1943, aged 85.<ref name="bio"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-wa}} {{s-new|creation}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for Claremont|years=1901–1902}} {{s-aft|after=John Foulkes}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Richard Pennefather}} {{s-ttl|title=Attorney-General|years=1901}} {{s-aft|after=George Leake}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sayer, William}} Category:1857 births Category:1943 deaths Category:Australian King's Counsel Category:Australian solicitors Category:British emigrants to the Colony of Western Australia Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Category:People educated at University College School Category:Politicians from London Category:Lawyers from London Category:Public servants of Western Australia Category:Attorneys-general of Western Australia Category:Solicitors-general of Western Australia