William Ah Ket was born in 1876 in Wangaratta, Victoria, the son of Chinese immigrants who had arrived during the gold rush era. He grew up in a community marked by both cultural diversity and social exclusion. From an early age he demonstrated a strong aptitude for learning and a determination to rise beyond the barriers placed before him. He attended Wangaratta High School and then Scotch College in Melbourne, where he excelled academically, before enrolling at the University of Melbourne. He studied law and arts and was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1904, becoming the first Australian barrister of Chinese descent.

Ah Ket’s presence at the Bar was more than a personal achievement. It was a quiet but powerful challenge to the racial prejudice that permeated legal and social life at the time. He practised primarily in Melbourne, taking cases in equity, commercial law, and occasionally in criminal matters. Though his practice was not large by the standards of the day, he was widely admired for his preparation, integrity, and clarity of argument.

Ah Ket was a thoughtful and principled advocate, known for his even temper and meticulous approach to legal work. He often found himself navigating a professional environment in which his ethnicity made him a subject of scrutiny, but he met such challenges with dignity and resilience. Beyond his courtroom work, he became an important figure in the Chinese Australian community, serving as an unofficial spokesman and as a liaison between Chinese business leaders and government officials.

He was particularly active in fighting discriminatory legislation, including attempts to restrict Chinese immigration and business operations. In the early twentieth century he appeared before parliamentary committees and made representations to government ministers, arguing for fair treatment under the law and for recognition of Chinese Australians as full members of the national community.

Ah Ket’s legacy is not measured solely in legal victories but in the example he set. He demonstrated that excellence at the Bar could transcend the prejudices of the age. He died in 1936, remembered by colleagues and community members alike as a man of deep integrity, quiet courage, and enduring importance in the story of Australian law and multicultural identity.