William Finlay (mayor)

Finlay's parents were William and Marjory (was Alcock) Finlay. His father, William Finlay (5 June 1807  – 11 June 1890) was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1807. He served in the army and rose to the rank of sergeant.^[1] William Jr. was born in 1840 in Ireland.

The Finlays, both parents and three children, arrived in Western Australia aboard the convict ship Scindian in 1850. William senior was a Pensioner Guard, and the family initially settled at Freshwater Bay. Another five children were born in Western Australia over the next few years.^[1]

Finlay joined the police force in 1858; he served as a constable in Albany in 1864, moving to Williams in 1869, then to York in 1873 and then to Geraldton in 1874. He rose to the rank of sub-inspector in Albany in 1878.^[2]

During his time in the force he married Sarah Coppin in Busselton in 1861.^[3]

Finlay resigned from the force in 1878 and was well remembered for his charitable work, administration skills and founding a local militia.^[4] He remained in Albany working as a clerk of customs and a tide waiter and also served as a municipal councillor. He was elected as the first mayor of Albany in 1885.^[4][5][6] The other candidates in the election were John Moir and Robert Andrew Muir.^[7] Finlay's home in Albany, known as McKenzie House or the White House, a grand federation style building overlooking Albany Port, is a still a local landmark.^[8]