Chris Watson is the third prime minister of Australia and an Australian politician. He became the first prime minister from the Labor Party, not only in his country, but around the world.
John Christian Watson was born on April 9, 1867 in Valparaiso (a seaport in Chile). The father was a Chilean citizen of German descent, Johan Christian Tank. His mother, Martha Minchin, was New Zealand. Unfortunately, the parents separated and the mother married George Watson for the second time, whose name was taken by young Chris.
Youth
Watson went to school in Oamaru, New Zealand. In 1886 he moved to Sydney, to his best prospects. Chris Watson found work as an editor for several newspapers. Through this affinity for newspapers, books and writers, he promoted his education and developed an interest in politics.
Career
In 1891 Chris Watson was among the founding members of the New South Wales Labor Party of New South Wales, involved in the trade union movement.
Already in January 1892 he was an active member of the trade union and became Vice President of the Sydney Industries and the Labor Council.
In June 1892, Chris Watson settled a dispute between the TLC and the Labor Party, and as a result became chairman of the council and chairman of the party.
In 1893 and 1894, he worked hard to resolve the debate over the pledge of solidarity and established the basic methods of the Labor Party, including party conference sovereignty, caucus solidarity, the pledge required by parliamentarians, and the strong role of an extra-parliamentary leader.
In 1894 Watson was elected to the New South Wales Legislature for the Young estate.
From 1895, Watson helped shape party policy regarding the federation movement and was one of ten Labor candidates nominated for the Australian Federal Treaty on March 4, 1897, but none was elected.
On June 3, 1898, when the draft was presented to a referendum, the Labor Party opposed it. Watson was devoted to the idea of a referendum as an ideal feature of democracy, however he helped negotiate an agreement involving a party leader, which included the appointment of four Labor Men to the Legislative Council.
In March 1899, party policy across the Federation changed. The movement was lost.
In May 1901, Watson was elected to the House of Representatives in the first federal election.
And on March 8, 1901, just during the first meeting of parliament, the Labor party decided to nominate Watson for the post of parliamentary leader
From April 27, 1904 to August 17, 1904, Watson served as Prime Minister and Treasurer. His term as prime minister was short enough, just 4 months, but his party was able to maintain the balance of power by backing a protectionist party bill in exchange for the indulgences needed to bolster Labor's political platform.
From August 18, 1904 to July 5, 1905 - Chris Watson was the leader of the Australian opposition.
In 1906, Watson led the Labor Party into the federal elections and improved his position.
In October 1907, he left the Labor leadership in favor of Andrew Fisher. He retired from politics, at the age of only 42, prior to the 1910 federal elections. But from the Parliamentary arena, Watson continued to work for Labor, becoming the director of Labor Papers Ltd, publishers of Work, a document of the Australian Workers' Union. He also pursued a business career and was also a parliamentary lobbyist.
But in 1916 the Labor split over the issue of conscription for World War I, and Watson sided with Hughes and the conscriptionists. He remained active in Hughes' Nationalist Party affairs until 1922, but after that he drifted outside of politics in general.
Watson devoted the rest of his life to business. Organized the National Roads and Motorists Association (NRMA) and remained its chairman until his death.
Personal life
In 1889, Chris Watson married Ada Jane Lowe, an English-born Sydney seamstress. In 1921, his wife died.
On October 30, 1925, Watson married Antonia Mary Gladys Dolan at the same church in which he married Ada 36 years earlier. His second wife was a 23-year-old waitress from Western Australia. Chris Watson met her while she served his table at the Traveling Salesmen's Club. He and Antonia had one daughter, Jacqueline.
Watson died on November 18, 1941 at his home in the Sydney suburb of New South Wales, Australia. He was cremated at the North Suburban Crematorium, Sydney.
Honors
In April 2004, the Labor Party celebrated the centenary of the Watson government with a series of public events in Canberra and Melbourne. Watson's daughter, Jacqueline Dunn, at 77 years old, was the guest of honor in these functions.
Canberra suburb Watson and Watson's federal electorate are named after him.
In 1969, he was honored on a postage stamp bearing his portrait, issued by the Australian Post.
Australian writer Percival Serlet wrote: "Watson left a much larger impression on his time. He arrived at the right moment for his side and nothing could have made him better than the sincerity, courtesy and slowness that he has always shown as a leader." Alfred Deakin, Australian journalist and politician, the country's second prime minister, wrote of Watson: "The Labor section has many reasons to thank Mr. Watson, a leader whose tact and judgment have enabled him to achieve many of his Parliamentary successes."
