Arthur Frederick Watts CMG (26 May 1897 – 8 June 1970) was an Australian politician who served in the

Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Western Australian Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Western Australia, an Australian state. The Parliament sits in Parliament House in the Western Australian capital, Perth. The Legisla ...

from 1935 to 1962, including as

leader of the opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

(from 1942 to 1947) and

deputy premier A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

(from 1947 to 1953 and 1959 to 1962) of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. Born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, Watts emigrated to

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

with his family in 1906, later moving to Katanning. Having boarded at

Guildford Grammar School Guildford Grammar School, informally known as Guildford Grammar, Guildford or GGS, is an independent Anglican coeducational primary and secondary day and boarding school, located in Guildford, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Initia ...

, he was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 1920 as a barrister and solicitor. Watts was elected to parliament for the Country Party at a 1935 by-election, necessitated by the death of

Arnold Piesse Arnold Edmund Piesse (2 April 1872 – 21 July 1935) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1909 to 1914 and again from 1930 until his death, on both occasions representing the ...

. He succeeded Charles Latham as leader of the Country Party and leader of the opposition in 1942, and was made deputy premier to

Ross McLarty Sir Duncan Ross McLarty, (17 March 1891 – 22 December 1962) was an Australian politician and the 17th Premier of Western Australia. Early life McLarty was born in Pinjarra, Western Australia, the youngest of seven children of Edward McLarty ...

following the 1947 state election. Despite being Opposition leader, Watts did not become Premier with the change of government at the 1947 election as his party the Country Party won one less seat than its Coalition partner the Liberals resulting in Liberal leader McLarty becoming Premier instead. It is one instance of an Opposition Leader who did not become Premier with an election producing a change of government. The government was defeated at the 1953 election, but was re-elected at the six years, with Watts again serving as deputy premier under

David Brand Sir David Brand KCMG (1 August 1912 – 15 April 1979) was an Australian politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1945 to 1975, and also the 19th and longest-serving Premi ...

. He resigned as deputy premier in February 1962, and did not contest the state election the following month, having been appointed chairman of the State Licensing Courts. Watts died in Perth in June 1970.Black, David
Watts, Arthur Frederick (1897–1970)
– Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 3 April 2013.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Arthur 1897 births 1970 deaths Australian Anglicans Australian barristers Australian solicitors Burials at Karrakatta Cemetery Deputy Premiers of Western Australia English emigrants to Australia Leaders of the Opposition in Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly People educated at Guildford Grammar School People from Katanning, Western Australia National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia 20th-century Australian politicians Energy Ministers of Western Australia