William left the Isle of Man to migrate to New Zealand in 1859(?), Alex Quayle states at the time of his death that William dug for gold on the Shotover River in the South Island until the gold ran out, then migrated to Ballarat in Victoria in about 1860.

His name appears in the "Ballarat Directory 1869" as Carpenter, Surrey St, Ballarat. Wise's Victoria Post Office Directory of 1893/94 lists Quayle and Williams, Railway Contractors, Rodier St Ballarat East. William was in business as a builder, constructing Railway Station masters residences on the railway as far west as Ararat.

A painted portrait of William Quayle is on display at Vision Australia. A donation was received from the Manx Victoria Society towards this painting. It was unveiled by his grand daughter in 2002 approximately. Vision Australia’s history says that William Quayle was a past President of the Association for he Advancement of the Blind (now part of Vision Australia) in 1905.