William Arthur Holman was born in London in 1871 and migrated to Sydney with his mother when he was a teenager. After a modest upbringing and an early life spent in various trades, including as a typesetter and shorthand writer, Holman discovered a passion for law and politics that would shape his future. He studied at the University of Sydney while working to support himself and was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1898. His journey to the legal profession was marked by perseverance, and when he finally entered practice, he brought with him a lived understanding of the struggles faced by working people.

Holman specialised in labour law and criminal defence, often appearing for trade unionists and workers in a legal system that was not always sympathetic to their interests. He was admired for his skill in cross-examination and his ability to bring calm precision to emotionally charged cases. Though never among the wealthiest or most elite of barristers, Holman gained a strong following for his command of legal argument and his commitment to justice as a lived principle rather than an abstract ideal.

Elected to the New South Wales Parliament in the late 1890s, Holman became one of the key figures in the Australian labour movement. He used his legal training to draft legislation and to navigate complex constitutional issues as the colony moved towards Federation. A gifted speaker, he combined moral clarity with forensic skill in debates, earning respect from political allies and adversaries alike.

Holman eventually rose to become Premier of New South Wales, first as a member of the Labor Party and later under the banner of the Nationalist movement after the conscription crisis fractured party lines. Though his shift in political allegiance caused controversy, his record of legal reform and his dedication to public service endured. He remained a thoughtful legislator and adviser on constitutional matters long after his premiership ended.

He died in 1934, having lived a life that bridged the worlds of advocacy, reform, and politics. Holman’s legal work was inseparable from his political vision. He understood the law not only as a set of rules but as an instrument through which society could be made more just and more humane.