Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/daniel-william-joseph-bill-27537

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Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Daniel, William

Moral theologian; born Melbourne, 26 April 1930; died Melbourne, 23 October 1994, aged 64.

Bill Daniel's father, Thomas, was in the Public Service, Department of the Navy, and, during the Second World War, was moved, first to Brisbane, and then to Sydney, where Bill attended St Ignatius' College, Riverview, for his secondary education.

He entered the Jesuit novitiate at Watsonia, l February 1947, a few months short of his 17th birthday. After vows, Daniel studied a year of Latin, Greek and French as part of his university studies. This was followed by philosophy at Watsonia. During these years Daniel became appreciated as a mimic, singing in concerts and in the scholastics' choir. He had a fine voice.

Regency followed in 1953 at St Ignatius' College, Riverview, and then he returned to Watsonia to complete his arts degree at the University of Melbourne. He graduated with first class honours in Greek and Latin, followed by an MA in 1957 in Homeric religion, while teaching Greek at Watsonia and tutoring in Latin at the university. Another year of regency was spent at St Louis, Perth, in 1958. Here he was sports master, assistant division prefect, teacher of Latin and religion and director of the Sodality of the Holy Angels.

Theology studies at Canisius College, Pymble, followed, 1959-62. He spent a year at Corpus Christi College, Werribee, before his tertianship at Munster, Germany. After this, he began a biennium in moral theology at the Gregorian University, Rome, living at the Collegio Bellarmino. His doctoral thesis was on 'The purely penal law in Spanish theologians from Vitoria to Suarez' that was published in 1968 in Analecta Gregoriana.

He returned to Canisius College, Pymble, in 1967 to teach moral theology which he taught for the rest of his life. He held various other jobs in the theologate such as prefect of studies and spiritual director, as well as province delegate for personnel, and assistant for the sick and the aged.

In 1975 he began lecturing at the Catholic Theological College, which continued for about 12 years. He also taught at the Yarra Theological Union, as well as teaching pastoral theology to the scholastics. In addition, he heard confessions at St Francis' Church, Melbourne.

Daniel wrote much during his life. For the Catholic Correspondence Centre, Sydney, he produced a short course of a dozen lectures on fundamental moral theology. He contributed articles in the Australasian Catholic Record and Compass. He contributed chapters to three books, Test Tube Babies (1982), Finding Common Ground (1986), and Making Our Peace (1987). His writing was carefully researched, clearly expressed with an economy of words. He had a real respect for the Catholic tradition of moral theology, but related it well to modern scholarship.

He was frequently consulted for moral opinions. The Catholic hospitals, particularly the Mercy Hospital, Melbourne, acknowledged his work on its ethics committee. The federal government appointed him a member of the Uranium Advisory council, 1979-81. He was also involved with questions on Land Rights for the aboriginal people. He was one of the founders of the Catholic Moral Theology Association that began in the 1970s in an informal way.

Daniel was an elected delegate to the 32nd General Congregation, 1974-5. He was a member of the commission dealing with the fourth vow, and used most of his free Sundays to write an account of the week's proceedings to be sent back to the province.

From 1984-90 he resided at the provincial residence and was appointed superior from 1986.

He had various sabbaticals during his working life, but the one in 1991 was with a difference. He went to work with the very poor in South America. For six months he lived in Santiago, Chile. He wanted to experience poverty, and he certainly did that. He also worked with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Bangkok. He sustained an accident, which, with the nature of his work, meant that he returned to Australia somewhat exhausted.

Returning to the Jesuit Theological College and his teaching obligations, he took on the task of editing the Ordo, which he continued until his death. He also produced a necrology of the province.

In October 1992 ill health forced him to have tests that indicated that he had a terminal condition. He received treatment and continued teaching, but he became very tired. His condition deteriorated and he was transferred to Campion House where he could receive better treatment and care. He finally died at the Masonic Hospital.

As a person he was capable, cultured, humane, intelligent, ordered and realistic. He was balanced, consistent, sensible and reasonable, honest and responsible as well as a man of integrity. He was thoughtful, dependable and kind, as well as a man of deep rather than numerous friendships, and a strong rather than a light-hearted, easygoing presence. He was not a familiar man; relating better to some contemporaries and superiors rather than to scholastics with whom he could be moody, irascible, gruff, ill-at-ease and even harsh. He did not 'suffer fools gladly'. He tended to drive people rather than to lead, while his reserve, formal, even pompous manner did not encourage closeness. As prefect of studies he showed good judgment, was efficient, open minded, astute, reliable and sincere. As a teacher he encouraged thinking through positions before taking up a position. However, some found him too authoritarian and dogmatic in style.

Essentially, Daniel was a man thoroughly possessed by the grand vision of our faith in all its breadth and depth, but a man also of meticulous attention to the detailed, the particular. He was for a quarter of a century one of Australia's leading moral theologians, and was much consulted on matters of medical ethics and social justice. The Church was enriched by his presence.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)