William Macmahon Ball

William Macmahon Ball, AC (29 August 1901 – 26 December 1986) was an Australian academic and diplomat. Born in Casterton, Victoria, he was educated at Caulfield Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, Ball studied both psychology and political science as a research fellow at Melbourne and the London School of Economics respectively.[1] He then travelled Europe as a Carnegie Travelling Fellow, and during the Munich crisis was the first foreigner allowed to visit Sachsenhausen concentration camp in several years.

William Macmahon Ball AC
Born	29 August 1901 Casterton, Victoria
Died	26 December 1986 (aged 85)
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	University of Melbourne (BA)
Occupation	Public servant, diplomat
Spouse(s)	Iris Shield ​ ​ (m. 1924; died 1926)​ Muriel Katrine Sandys Cliffe Anderson ​ ​ (m. 1928)​

He was a notable diplomat, working as an advisor to the Australian delegation at the San Francisco conference of the United Nations in 1945, Australian Minister to Japan, and British Commonwealth representative to the Allied Conference.

He later became a professor of political science at Melbourne University, and was a regular broadcaster on both the ABC and BBC. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1978 "for service to education and learning particularly in field of political science".[2]

See also

• List of Caulfield Grammar School people

References

1. Ryan, Peter, "Ball, William Macmahon (1901–1986)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 19 January 2016
2. Australian Honours (2006). BALL, William MacMahon. Retrieved 12 June 2006.

External links

• William Macmahon Ball - The University of Melbourne 150 Years: 150 Stories
• Guide to the Papers of William Macmahon Ball - National Library of Australia

Further reading

• Peter Ryan, William Macmahon Ball: A Memoir (1990)
• Ai Kobayashi, W. Macmahon Ball: Politics for the People (2013)