William Bramwell Withers

W. B. Withers
W. B. Withers
	A photograph of Withers in Australian Representative Men (1887)
Born	William Bramwell Withers; 27 July 1823; Whitchurch, Hampshire, England
Died	14 July 1913 (aged 89); Dulwich Hill, Sydney, Australia
Occupations	Journalist; historian; novelist;
Known for	A History of Ballarat (1870)

William Bramwell Withers (27 July 1823 – 14 July 1913) was a journalist and novelist best known for writing the first history of Ballarat, Victoria. Born in England, Withers moved to the Colony of Natal in 1849 and contributed to local newspapers. He moved to Victoria in 1852, working odd jobs before becoming a reporter for the Argus and the Herald in Melbourne.

By 1855, Withers was living in Ballarat, where he worked as a journalist for the Ballarat Times, the Ballarat Star, the Miner and Weekly Star and later the Ballarat Courier. Withers endeavored to write a history of Ballarat, spending five years of research before the first edition was published in 1870 to great praise. A second edition was published in 1887. He also served on the first committee of the mechanics' institute, was a co-proprietor of the Ballarat Star from 1875–1880 and wrote two novels. In 1901, Withers left for Sydney, where he died in 1913.

W. B. Withers
A photograph of Withers in Australian Representative Men (1887)
Born	William Bramwell Withers (1823-07-27)27 July 1823 Whitchurch, Hampshire, England
Died	14 July 1913(1913-07-14) (aged 89) Dulwich Hill, Sydney, Australia
Occupations	Journalist historian novelist
Known for	A History of Ballarat (1870)