David Watterston (2 January 1845 – 23 July 1931) was an Australian journalist and newspaper editor; he was editor of ''
The Australasian
The ''Australasian Post'', commonly called the ''Aussie Post'', was Australia's longest-running weekly picture magazine.
History and profile
Its origins are traceable to Saturday, 3 January 1857, when the first issue of ''Bell's Life in Victoria ...
'' from 1885 to 1903 and of ''
The Argus'' 1903 to 1906.
[
]
Watterston was born in Balgone Barns,
Haddingtonshire
East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the histo ...
, Scotland, youngest son of James Watterston and his wife Catherine ''née'' Broadwood.
[
The family, after spending a year in ]Gottland
Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province, Counties of Sweden, county, Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, and List of dio ...
, in the Baltic Sea, went to Australia, arriving in April 1853.Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Watterston moved to Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
in May 1860, and in October of the same year, commenced his connection with the press.[ He learned reporting on the ''Ipswich Herald'' (afterwards the '']Queensland Times
''The Queensland Times'' is an online newspaper serving Ipswich and surrounds in Queensland, Australia. The newspaper is owned by News Corp Australia. The circulation of ''The Queensland Times'' is 10,804 Monday to Friday and 14,153 on Saturday ...
'') and then moved to Brisbane in 1865, to undertake parliamentary reporting. Watterston spent several years in the gallery for ''The Brisbane Courier
''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northe ...
'' and next on the ''Guardian'', from which paper, in June 1869, he obtained promotion to the parliamentary staff of '' The Argus'', Melbourne, returning to Victoria after nine years' absence.[
Watterston executed various special commissions for ''The Argus'', being sent to the United States in 1876, for six months, in connection with the Philadelphia Exhibition. He went to England in 1879, to report on the movements of the Berry-Pearson embassy. Watterston was appointed chief of ''The Argus'' reporting staff in 1881, and four years later, on the editorship of the ''Australasian'' becoming vacant, he had that position given to him, the ''Australasian'' being a weekly literary, sporting and agricultural journal, started by the proprietors of ''The Argus'' in 1864.][ Watterston was editor of the ''Argus'' from 1903 to 1906.][ His successor was Edward S. Cunningham.
Watterston died in ]Armadale, Victoria
Armadale is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Armadale recorded a population of 9,368 at the 2021 cens ...
, Australia on 23 July 1931; he was unmarried.[
Gazetted with incorrect spelling, Watterson Place, in the Canberra suburb of Gilmore, is, however, named in his honour.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watterston, David
1845 births
1931 deaths
Australian journalists
Australian newspaper editors
Scottish emigrants to Australia
Burials in Victoria (Australia)
The Argus (Melbourne) people