People Australia

Ern Wattison, n.d.

William Ernest (Ern) Wattison (1903-1975) miner, trade union official and parliamentarian 

Birth: 15 November 1903 at Broken Hill, New South Wales, son of William Ernest Wattison (1882-1928), a miner, and Johanna Elisabeth Martha, née Kahlisch (1882-1927), born at Robertson, South Australia (her father had been born at Krosson on Oder, Silesia, Prussia). Marriage: 2 June 1928 in the Oxide Street Methodist Church, Broken Hill, to Winifred Ivy Williams (1906-1993), born at Broken Hill. They had one daughter and two sons. Death: 13 November 1975 at Bateau Bay. NSW. Religion: Methodist. 

• His father was sometime president of Number 26 Silver Star lodge of the United Ancient Order of Druids.
• Ern was educated at Burke Ward public school, Broken Hill. In 1915, as a member of “the ‘Sacred Songsters’, a number of boys trained by Mr Williams (of Railway Town Church of Christ),” he participated in the Wolfram-street Church of Christ Band of Hope entertainment. He later performed in the Broken Hill Musical Comedy Company.
• Worked on Barrier Daily Truth in his youth.
• Was employed as a miner and later as a labourer. In 1932 he worked for improvements to the dole for the unemployed and was assistant secretary of the Unemployed Workers Union. In 1933 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the position of general secretary of the Miners’ Federation.
• From 1935 to 1947 he was employed in the office of the Workers’ Industrial Union of Australia (Miners Federation), Barrier District. Delegate to Barrier Industrial Council for fifteen years.
• A member of the Australian Labor Party, he defeated the sitting member, Ted Horsington, in the party preselection ballot and was elected, unopposed, as ALP member of the Legislative Assembly for Sturt on 3 April 1947. Held the seat until 23 January 1968, when he retired.
• Member of the central executive of the NSW branch of the ALP from 1954 to 1957.
• Was an officer of the Central Broken Hill Football Club. Sometime organiser of the Broken Hill Egg Producers’ Association. Workers' representative on the Broken Hill District Hospital Board. Supporter of the Royal Far Western Children's Health Scheme.
• Cause of death: ventricular fibrillation (seconds), basal bilateral pneumonia (2-3 days) and cardiac failure.

Sources
Heather Radi, Peter Spearritt and Elizabeth Hinton (eds), Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-1970 (Canberra, 1979).