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David Watkins (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
David Watkins was an Australia
n politician and Member of the Australian House of Representatives
for Newcastle
from 1901 until his death in 1935.
Born in Wallsend
, New South Wales
to Welsh
parents, Watkins embarked upon a career as a coal miner
in the Wallsend colliery in 1881. In 1894, after several years as a trade union official, he entered politics when he successfully ran for Wallsend
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
on behalf of the Labor Party
.
Upon Federation
, Watkins won the seat of Newcastle in the House of Representatives
for the Australian Labor Party
, on which he served until his death from cancer
. Although he never achieved ministerial status, Watkins had not changed his seat or party allegiance during his federal political career, and his death left Billy Hughes
as the only remaining member of the First Parliament still in the House. Watkins' second son, David Oliver Watkins
, stood for his seat in parliament in a 1935 by-election, which he won easily and held for 23 years.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and Member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
for Newcastle
Division of Newcastle
The Division of Newcastle is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. The Division is centred around the city of Newcastle, after which it is named....
from 1901 until his death in 1935.
Born in Wallsend
Wallsend, New South Wales
Wallsend is a western suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area.- Origins :...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
parents, Watkins embarked upon a career as a coal miner
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in the Wallsend colliery in 1881. In 1894, after several years as a trade union official, he entered politics when he successfully ran for Wallsend
Electoral district of Wallsend
Wallsend is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. Wallsend is a Newcastle suburban electorate, deriving its name from the suburb of the same name, covering 118.57 km² and encompassing at least part of the suburbs of Wallsend, Edgeworth,...
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
on behalf of the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
.
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, Watkins won the seat of Newcastle in the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, on which he served until his death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Although he never achieved ministerial status, Watkins had not changed his seat or party allegiance during his federal political career, and his death left Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
as the only remaining member of the First Parliament still in the House. Watkins' second son, David Oliver Watkins
David Oliver Watkins
David Oliver Watkins was an Australian politician. Born in Wallsend, New South Wales, he attended public schools in Newcastle before becoming a storeman. He served in the military from 1915-17...
, stood for his seat in parliament in a 1935 by-election, which he won easily and held for 23 years.