William Stewart (1769 – 8 April 1854) was a Scottish-born Australian administrator, politician, soldier, and pastoralist.
Stewart was born in Caithness, Scotland to William Stewart of Caithness, and he was the grandson of Donald Stewart of Appin. In 1794 he enlisted in the army, serving in the West Indies, Spain, Portugal, Canada and France.
Commissioned as a colonel, Stewart and his regiment were sent to the penal Colony of New South Wales; Stewart was the most senior military officer and he took up the post of Lieutenant-Governor in 1825, and served until 1827. Upon his appointment, he also served as an inaugural Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales and, for approximately two weeks, was acting Governor of the Colony. During his tenure, Stewart was involved in establishing a mounted police unit.
Stewart served with his regiment in India, where he was commissioned as a major-general.
Personal life
Stewart married Sylvia Anne (née Wolfe), and was survived by three daughters and one son, James Horne Stewart. Granted 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) near Bathurst, New South Wales in 1827, after service in India he returned to the Bathurst area in 1832 to retire, where he died in 1854, aged 85 years.