Background
Having been locally educated, Willis worked at his father"s tannery, and in 1884 became a committee member of the South Australian Literary Societies" Union.
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Henry Willis
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The following year he had established his own tannery and was serving on the local board of health and Hindmarsh Municipal Council. He was the first mayor of Cabramatta and Canley Vale in 1893 and served on Camden (1897-1899) and Randwick (1899–1902) councils. Willis was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 1901, as the Free Trade member for Robertson.
When Labor lost the majority in the Assembly in July 1911 it appointed Willis, who, as an Opposition member, had offered himself to avoid a dissolution, as Speaker.
Having embraced Robert Lowe"s ideals, Willis became a more active Speaker, claiming authority to remove members, censor their speeches and questions, and exclude journalists from the press gallery. He also completely reformed the Speaker"s office and staff, but most of these reforms were ephemeral.
Willis"s measures angered both Liberal and Labor members. Once, he even summoned the police to eject seven Liberals from the House.
He incurred several civil actions for assault and illegal ejection (John Perry"s 1911 action was successful), and was labelled a "petty Napoleon".
He became increasingly unpopular, constantly lampooned in the press, and almost hated within the House. He resigned the Speakership on 22 July 1913 and was defeated at the next election. His last appearance in politics was as an unsuccessful Labor candidate for the state seat of North Shore in 1920.
Willis personified the Victorian ideal of the "cultivated" gentleman, and was noted for his parliamentary eloquence.
He possessed four estates, one of them in Queensland.
Politics
His Liberal colleagues accused him of betraying his party, some even calling him "Judas" and a "political leper".
Membership
He remained in this position until 1910, when he was defeated, but he gained the seat of Upper Hunter in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly later that year as a member of the Liberal Party.
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Born
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Died
February 23, 1950 (aged 89) -
Nationality
Australia -
Political Party
The Liberal Party