William Watt

Who was William Watt?

William Alexander Watt was an Australian politician who was the 24th Premier of Victoria, and later a leading federal politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives. He also acted as Prime Minister of Australia from April 1918 until August 1919, during Billy Hughes' service in the Imperial War Cabinet and attendance at the Versailles peace conference.

Watt was born at Barfold, near Kyneton, and was educated at Errol Street State School. He became a newsboy, worked for an ironmongery and a tannery, later as a clerk and an accountant and then went into business as a grain merchant in North Melbourne. He married Florence Carrighan in 1894, but she died in childbirth in 1896. In 1907, he married Emily Helena Seismann and they eventually had five children. He became active in the Australian Natives' Association, a lobby group of Australian-born liberals who supported Australian federation and other causes. He was closely associated with the Victorian liberal leader Alfred Deakin.