David Watkins (Australian politician)

David Watkins
Member of the Australian Parliament for Newcastle
In office 29 March 1901 – 8 April 1935
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	David Watkins
Personal details
Born	(1865-05-05)5 May 1865 Wallsend, New South Wales
Died	8 April 1935(1935-04-08) (aged 69)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Children	David Oliver Watkins
Occupation	Coal miner, unionist

David Watkins (5 May 1865 – 8 April 1935) was an Australian 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.

Labour Party MPs elected at the inaugural 1901 election, including Watson, Fisher, Hughes, and Tudor. Watkins is situated middle row far left, the only man of his party not to sport facial hair.

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.

References

• Hilary Kent, 'Watkins, David (1865 - 1935)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 12, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp 393–394.
• Ramsey, Alan: Push to save Labor from its own heartland, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 June 2006.