William Charles Crompton (1865–1911) was an Australian poet.^[1]

Crompton was born in Maryborough, Queensland in 1865.^[1]

After growing up and being educated in his hometown, Crompton was elected as an alderman on the Maryborough Municipal Council in September 1893.^[2]

Throughout the 1890s, Crompton became known locally for writing his own original poetry which was regularly published in local newspaper, Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}

In 1894, he commercially published his best known work, Convict Jim and other poems^[9] which received mixed reviews.^[10][11][12]

Following his defeat at the Maryborough Municipal Council elections in 1898^[13] Crompton moved to Rockhampton, Queensland.^[14]

Despite moving to Rockhampton, he continued to submit poetry to The Maryborough Chronicle.^[15]

Crompton died in December 1911, at the age of 45 after suffering a brain hemorrhage following a workplace accident at Wilson, Hart & Co's Rockhampton timber yard where he was employed as a foreman.^[16][17]

He is buried in the South Rockhampton Cemetery.^[18]

References