William McRae spent many years with the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company in Borneo and Sumatra. He was born in Beauharnais, Quebec on February 15, 1867 and moved to Petrolia as a small boy, after the death of his father. He lived with his uncle, William H. Hammond, a prominent oil producer and refiner, and learned the trade of drilling oil at which, according to his obituary, he excelled.

William McRae was among the first of the International Drillers to leave Petrolia and spent 25 years of his life abroad in Borneo, Java, and Sumatra. McRae acquired hunting skills from his uncle and became a renowned hunter himself. Many photos had been taken of McRae and his hunting trophies, one of which was an elephant. During his last trip, he was sent home because he was suffering from malaria. McRae did return to work, but eventually had to retire due to his health. He died from the ravages of gangrene and is now buried in Hillsdale Cemetery in Petrolia.