People Australia

Ben Watkins, n.d.

Parliament of Tasmania

Benjamin (Ben) Watkins (1884-1963) publican, journalist, alderman and parliamentarian

Birth: 26 July 1884 at Hobart, Tasmania, son of George Watkins (1846-2007), baker and Jemima, née Gourlay (1847-1913), born at Leith, Midlothian, Scotland. Marriages: (1) 12 December 1911 in Hobart to native-born Elsie May Williams (1887-1934). They had two daughters. (2) 12 April 1938 to native-born Helene Elizabeth, née Blackwood, late Tunbridge (1893-1971). They had no children. Death: 23 August 1963 at St John’s Hospital, in Hobart; usual residence Macquarie Street, Hobart. Religion: Anglican. 

• At various times, he was a printer, baker, publican and journalist. He was director and managing director, Daily Post and was advertising canvasser for the World and representative of Voice, while a member of parliament.
• He was secretary of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party federal conference; on his initiative the 1908 conference firmed its commitment to an “Australian-owned and controlled railway”. During World War I he was anti-conscriptionist.
• Watkins was a member of the House of Assembly for the seats of Queenstown in 1906-1909, Darwin in 1909-1917 and Franklin in 1919-1922 and 1925-1934. He was chairman of committees in 1926-1928 and sometime ALP whip. In 1931 he resigned from the ALP and was later readmitted.
• He contested many other State seats between 1906 and 1937 and the Commonwealth seats of Denison in 1917 and Franklin in 1922.
• Watkins was warden of Glenorchy Municipal Council in 1928-1931; he served on the Glenorchy Licensing Branch. He was an alderman on Hobart City Council for ten years. He served on the boards of the Royal Hobart Hospital and the Blind Deaf and Dumb Institution and was chairman of the Hobart Tramway Committee.
• Commissioned justice of the peace in 1922, he was appointed MBE in 1953.
• A freemason, he was a member of the Masonic Club in Hobart. He was also a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Association Club in Hobart.
• Cause of death: medullary thrombosis, cerebral atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and pneumonia.
• His first wife was the sister of the wife of W. A. Woods, MHA. 

Sources
Scott Bennett & Barbara Bennett, Biographical Register of the Tasmanian Parliament, 1851–1960, (Canberra, 1980); Australian Worker, 3 June 1915; The Voice, 20 November 1926; D. J. Murphy (ed), Labor in Politics: State Labor Parties in Australia, 1880-1920 (St Lucia, Qld, 1975}.