Bob Watson (Australian politician)

Bob Watson
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Mulgrave
In office 29 April 1950 – 7 March 1953
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Charles English
In office 3 August 1957 – 26 March 1959
Preceded by	Charles English
Succeeded by	Carlisle Wordsworth
Personal details
Born	Robert Hodgson Watson 12 October 1896 Durham, England
Died	26 March 1959 (aged 62) Coorparoo, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Country Party
Spouse(s)	Ethel Agnes Mutch (m. 1920; d. 1959)
Occupation	Sugarcane farmer
Religion	Presbyterian

Robert Hodgson "Bob" Watson (12 October 1896 - 26 March 1959) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Biography

Watson was born in Yorkshire, England, the son of William Watson and his wife Elizabeth Ann (née Forster) and came to Australia at an early age. He was educated to primary level and after he finished his schooling he worked at the family sugarcane farm at Mourilyan before working on farms at Mossman and Edmonton. He was also an inspector and Chairman of Directors at the Babinda Central Mill.^[1]

On the 8th December 1920 Watson married Ethel Agnes Mutch^[1] (died 1981)^[2] and together had two daughters. He died in Coorparoo, Brisbane, in March 1959^[1] and was cremated at the Mt Thompson Crematorium.^[3]

Public career

Watson started out in politics as a councillor on the Mulgrave Shire Council and went on to be chairman of the shire for eleven years.^[1]

A member of the Country Party, Watson won the seat of Mulgrave at the 1950 Queensland state election, beating Charles English of the Labor Party, W.F. Falls of the Communist Party and G.A. Groth of the North Queensland Labor Party.^[4] He held the seat for three years before being defeated by Charles English in 1953.^[5]

He stood at the 1956 Queensland state election but was again beaten by English, but at the state election the next year he once again won Mulgrave, beating English who by now had joined the Queensland Labor Party.^[6] Watson became ill during the 1959 parliamentary sittings and died a few days later.^[1] He was the executive officer of the Australian Sugar Producers' Association and executive of the District Cane Growers Association. He was also a member of Rotary and a Freemason.^[1]

References

1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
2. Family history research — Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
3. Robert Hodgson Watson ( - 1959) — Heaven Address. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
4. "Latest Poll Figures". The Courier-mail (4189). Queensland, Australia. 1 May 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 3 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "Brisbane". The Courier-mail (5078). Queensland, Australia. 9 March 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 3 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
6. English, Mr Charles Bernard — Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 3 June 2016.