John Watt Beattie

Who was John Watt Beattie?

John Watt Beattie was an Australian photographer.

Beattie was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Tasmania in 1890. He was appointed Photographer to the Government of Tasmania on 21 December 1896. He did extensive photography around Tasmania, as well as in the Central Highlands and on the West Coast of Tasmania. He was employed by the North Mount Lyell Company to photograph between Gormanston, Tasmania and Kelly Basin in the 1890s.

He travelled with lantern slide shows on various subjects — A trip through Tasmania, From Kelly's Basin to Gormanston as well as Port Arthur and Tasman Peninsula

In the 1890s he also prepared composite pictures of the Governors of Tasmania 1804–1895, as well as Parliamentarians of Tasmania 1856–1895.

He also travelled to Norfolk Island and did photographic work there as well. He died in Hobart.