 Williams was born in Geraldine in 1954, the son of Elizabeth Ann (née McLaren) and Allan Huia Williams.He was educated at Waitaki Boys' High School from 1967 to 1971, and then West High School in Corning, New York as an AFS scholar from 1971 to 1972.Williams played in the Otago schoolboys golf team in 1970 and was a North Otago cricket representative in 1971.