William John Miles

William John Miles (27 August 1871 – 10 January 1942) was an Australian businessman and far-right political activist. Early life Miles was born on 27 August 1871 in Woolloomooloo, New South Wales. He was the son of Ellen (née Munton) and John Balfour Clement Miles. His mother, born in England, was the widow of musician William J. Cordner. His father, born in Tahiti, was a public accountant. Business career Miles followed his father into the accounting profession, joining the firm of Miles, Vane & Miles (later Yarwood, Vane & Miles). He became a fellow of the Australasian Corporation of Public Accountants and was a long-serving director of Peapes, a menswear store on George Street, Sydney, of which he became the majority shareholder. He retired from business in 1935 on an annual income estimated at £6,000. In 1913, Miles unsuccessfully sued the Sydney Meat-Preserving Company, of which he was a major shareholder, for its failure to pay dividends. The High Court of Australia ruled against him by 2–1 in the case of Miles v Sydney Meat-Preserving Co Ltd.