William Senior (journalist)
William Senior (29 March 1838 – 7 October 1920) was an Anglo-Australian journalist, angler, "Chief Hansard Short Hand Writer", co-founder of Brisbane's famed "Johnsonian Club", editor and writer of short stories, known also by his pen name 'Red Spinner'. Biography. Senior was born in Sherborne, Dorset, England in 1838, son of Joseph Senior and wife Martha. Senior became the first officially appointed Principal Short Hand writer for the Parliament of Queensland's 'Hansard' (record of proceedings). He had by then served ten years as a special correspondent and parliamentary reporter for the London "Daily News  and London special reporter for the Manchester Examiner" when he was employed (on the instigation of Queensland's Colonial Secretary and Premier, Arthur Macalister and the Speaker, William Henry Walsh), as Queensland Parliament's first Short Hand Writer on 13 January 1876. He was an able writer who produced in his spare time a number of short stories for the "Queenslander" during his time in office, simultaneously being a Queensland correspondent for his old journal the London "Daily News". Senior returned to England in April 1881 where he took up his old profession as a journalist on the "Daily News  and editor. He became editor-in-chief of the sports journal 'The Field",' of which journal he was formerly the angling editor. He wrote and edited this journal for over twenty-five years, still frequently using his old "nom de plume" "Red Spinner", simultaneously being for a number of years the London correspondent for the "Brisbane Courier". He died in London on the 7th October 1920 and was buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery.