William Slater (c. 20 May 1890 – 19 June 1960) was an Australian lawyer, politician and diplomat. Early life Slater is believed to have been born around 20 May 1890 to William Slater, a travelling salesman and Maria (nee O’Reilly or Reilly) in Wangaratta, Victoria. He had two siblings. After his father left his family when he was four years old, he and his two siblings were brought up by his mother in poverty in Prahran. After briefly attending Armadale State School, Slater left school early to sell newspapers outside the Alfred Hospital Melbourne, he had no shoes. Being caught and fined for nude swimming in the Yarra River led him to decide to better himself. He continued his education at Try Boys’ Society South Yarra and by reading at Prahran Free Library where he met Maurice Blackburn. His Try Boys education and independent reading enabled him to take up legal studies at The University of Melbourne later on. He became a friend for life with Maurice Blackburn. They shared socialist ideals in their legal practice and political activities, and working for stricter legal controls for gambling. In 1910 he was employed as a clerk for Percy Park, a solicitor based in Mildura 544 kilometres (338 miles) from Melbourne. While living in Mildura, Slater saved enough money to buy two small fruit properties. War As a socialist, Slater refused to enlist with voluntary the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) at the beginning of World War I. However, spurred on by the aftermath of the Gallipoli campaign, he decided to enlist with the AIF. His first attempt to enlist was unsuccessful as he was deemed unsuitable for service due to varicose veins. After an operation to fix the ailment he enlisted in December 1915 with the 10th Field Ambulance. Slater left Melbourne with his unit in June 1916, arriving in Plymouth, England in August of the same year. In November he was disciplined for poor conduct. In July 1917 he was wounded in action, sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg. Politics & The Law While recovering in an English hospital he agreed to stand for election to the Victorian Legislative Assembly. In November 1917 he was elected to the seat of Dundas. The Argus newspaper later reported that fellow patients at the hospital mistook his appointment as a Member of Parliament as being a promotion to the Military Police. He left