The Hon Bill Grayden AM was born in Perth on 5 August 1920. He attempted to enlist in the Second Australian Imperial Force at the outbreak of WWII in 1939, but was refused as he was under the minimum age. The following year, having changed his name from Wilbur to William and falsifying his age, he was accepted and enlisted in the 2/16th Infantry Battalion.
He served in the Syrian campaign and in 1942 was sent to New Guinea, where he took part in the Kokoda Track and the Markham/Ramu Valley campaigns. He also participated in the Battle of Balikpapan and at the end of the war, was serving as a Captain in Borneo.
In 1947, aged 27, Bill entered WA Parliament as the Member for Middle Swan, becoming its youngest member and gaining a reputation for crossing the floor on matters of principle. He resigned in 1949 to contest the federal seat of Swan, subsequently joining Robert Menzies’ government. He returned to state politics in 1956, where he continued his strong advocation on various matters, including opposing his own party to support the preservation of iconic landmarks such as the Barracks Arch.
In 1953 he led a team in search of the 1848 Leichhardt Expedition but discovered instead the harsh conditions endured by the Aboriginal people of the Central Desert region. He produced the film, ‘Their Darkest Hour,' documenting the impact of nuclear testing at Maralinga on Aboriginal communities, which helped raise public awareness of their poor living conditions. Bill was a strong advocate for Aboriginal rights and the 1967 Referendum, which ensured Aboriginal Australians were counted in the National Census and empowered the Australian Parliament to legislate on their behalf.
In 1974, Bill was sworn in to Sir Charles Court’s Cabinet as Minister for Labour and Industry; Consumer Affairs; Immigration and Tourism. He held a number of ministerial portfolios in the eight years that followed and eventually retired from politics in 1993 as Western Australia’s longest serving member of Parliament. He was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 1994 in recognition of his service to the WA Parliament and to the community.
Bill and his wife Betsy had 10 children, 36 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren.
Service Details
Date: Tuesday 2 June 2026
Where: St George’s Cathedral, 38 St Georges Terrace, Perth
Time: Doors to the Cathedral will open at 8.30am and the Service will commence at 10.00am. Guests are asked to be seated by 9.30am.
Limited seating will be available in the Cathedral, however Burt Memorial Hall, located on the southern side of the Cathedral, will also be open for guests to watch a livestream of the service.
If you can’t attend in person, the link to watch the livestream will be available on this webpage closer to the Service date.
Anyone can attend the service, online registrations are not required.
Any new updates will be added to this page.
Getting there
Public transport is encouraged and regular weekday services will be running. For further information, visit the Transperth website. Public parking is available in the Perth CBD.
Contact
Enquiries can be directed to Protocol and State Events, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, telephone (08) 6552 6333 during business hours, or click here to send an email.
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