William Ernest Wattison (5 November 1903 – 13 November 1975) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1947 until 1968. He was a member of the Labor Party (ALP).

Early life

Wattison was born in

Broken Hill, New South Wales Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...

and was the son of a miner. He was educated at Burke Ward Public School in Broken Hill and worked for the Barrier Daily Truth while still young. Later he worked as a miner and was active in the local union movement, including serving on the Barrier Industrial Council for 15 years. He was involved in the Broken Hill Unemployed Union in the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

in the early 1930s and served as the assistant secretary of the Workers Industrial Union of Australia (WIUA), the local miners' union. He was involved with local organizations including the Broken Hill Hospital Board and the Royal Far West Children's Health Scheme.

Parliamentary career

Wattison was elected to the parliament as the Labor member for Sturt at the

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

election having won preselection against the sitting Labor member

Ted Horsington Edward Matthew Horsington (2 May 1878 – 23 July 1947) was an Australian politician. Biography He was born at Lower Alma, Timor, Victoria, to Julia, ''née'' Farrell, of Portarlington, Ireland, and farmer John Waygood Horsington, of So ...

in December 1946. He had contested the preselection ballots of the Barrier District Association of the Australian Labor Party (BDAALP) for Sturt since the early 1930s. Wattison's preselection reflected a general shift to the right in the local labour movement, and away from earlier, more radical political leaders. Wattison was Broken Hill's first MLA to have been born in the town. Wattison retained the seat for the Labor Party at the next 6 elections and retired from public life at the

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

election. He sat on the central executive of the ALP from 1954 to 1957.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wattison, William 1903 births 1972 deaths Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales 20th-century Australian politicians