William Henry Bean (c. 1843 – date of death unknown) was a prominent South Australian businessman and parliamentarian.
He was first elected to the Sixth Parliament of the South Australian House of Assembly for the District of West Torrens on March 28, 1870, serving alongside Henry Strangways. His term lasted until November 23, 1871, when he lost his seat following the dissolution of Parliament.Results of the Dissolution South Australian Register 15 December 1871 p.4 accessed 4 April 2011
Bean was later re-elected to the Ninth Parliament (1878–1881), this time serving with William James Magarey, from April 2, 1878 to March 19, 1881.District of West Torrens South Australian Register 21 March 1878 p.6 accessed 5 April 2011 Interesting details in his platform He successfully retained his seat in the Tenth Parliament(1881–1884), serving alongside Frederick Estcourt Bucknall from April 8, 1881 to March 19, 1884.House of Assembly 1870–1871, 1878–1881 & 1881–1884 , Statistical Record of the Legislature 1836–2007, Parliament of SA, pp.54, 57, 58 & 100. He did not contest the 1884 elections.
Bean's brother George Bean had held the seat previously and lost it under controversial circumstances. This is one of very few cases in Australia of a pair of brothers being parliamentarians.Brothers in Parliament The Advertiser 20 April 1929 p.15 accessed 14 March 2011
He conducted the Adelaide affairs of Bean Brothers while George was overseas from 1869 to 1878. He also organised a large number of wool, hide, meat and bark shipments in partnership with H. J. Wilke.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1872New Justices South Australian Register 12 April 1872 p.3 accessed 4 April 2011 but resigned in 1874.Resignation South Australian Register Friday 25 September 1874 p.3 accessed 5 April 2011
W. H. Bean (with Wilke) bought into a gold discovery "Golding's Find" at Mount Torrens in 1870.Government Schools in 1869 South Australian Register 19 April 1870 p.5 accessed 8 April 2011 and was a director in James Scott's "El Dorado" Mount Pleasant mine in 1872.Mining Intelligence South Australian Register Monday 7 October 1872 Supplement p.5 accessed 8 April 2011
He was on the board of the South Australian Zoological and Acclimatization Society.S.A. Zoological and Acclimatization Society South Australian Register Saturday 11 November 1882 accessed 8 April 2011 He resigned or was dropped in 1884.
In 1884 Bean Brothers Limited successfully sued him in the Supreme Court for making unauthorised payments.Summary In Cuzco South Australian Register Monday 22 September 1884 accessed 8 April 2011 He was declared insolvent in 1885.Insolvencies South Australian Register 8 July 1885 p.4 accessed 8 April 2011
He was in London at the time of his brother George's death in 1912.
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