Judyth Watson
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Judyth Watson
| honorific-suffix = OAM, PhD
| office1 = Minister for Aboriginal Affairs; Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs; Seniors
| premier1 = Carmen Lawrence
| term_start1 = 27 February 1991
| term_end1 = 16 February 1993
| predecessor1 = Pam Buchanan
Carmen Lawrence
| successor1 = Kevin Minson
Graham Kierath
| office2 = Minister for Women's Interests
| premier2 = Carmen Lawrence
| predecessor2 = Carmen Lawrence
| successor2 = Cheryl Edwardes
| term_start2 = 7 September 1992
| term_end2 = 16 February 1993
| constituency_MP3 = Kenwick
| parliament3 = Western Australian
| term_start3 = 4 February 1989
| term_end3 = 14 December 1996
| predecessor3 = New creation
| successor3 = Seat abolished
| constituency_MP4 = Canning
| parliament4 = Western Australian
| term_start4 = 8 February 1986
| term_end4 = 4 February 1989
| predecessor4 = Tom Bateman
| successor4 = Seat abolished
| birth_date = {{birth date|1940|03|08|df=y}}
| birth_place = Burton on Trent, England
| birthname = Judyth Watson
| citizenship = Australia
| party = Labor Party
| alma_mater = University of Western Australia
| occupation = Nurse
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|07|09| 1940|03|08}}
| death_place = Perth, Western Australia
}}
Judyth Watson {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (8 March 1940 - 9 July 2023) was an Australian former politician.
Early life
Watson was born in Burton-on-Trent, England to Cecil and Hylda Watson in 1940. She emigrated to Australia in 1949 and went to school at Perth Modern School. After working as a nurse, Watson completed a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977. In 1981 she completed a PhD studying workers compensation.{{cite web | url=http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/PR00596b.htm | title=Watson, Judyth | publisher=The National Foundation for Australian Women | work=The Australian Women's Register 2010 | accessdate=28 May 2012}}{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/FACTSHEETS+SN+08+Women+in+Parliament/$FILE/SN+8+Women+in+Parliament_Updated+Feb+2012.pdf | title=Women in Politics - Fact Sheet 8 | publisher=Parliament of Western Australia | work=Parliamentary Library Western Australia | date=February 2012 | accessdate=28 May 2012}}{{cite web | url=http://onesearch.library.uwa.edu.au/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?tabs=detailsTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=MILLENNIUM.b11735600&indx=2&recIds=MILLENNIUM.b11735600&recIdxs=1&elementId=1&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=&dscnt=0&scp.scps=scope%3A%28UWA%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&frbg=&tab=default_tab&dstmp=1338208217442&srt=rank&mode=Basic&dum=true&tb=t&vl%28freeText0%29=watson%2C%20judyth&vid=UWA&vl%2828274331UI1%29=all_items&vl%282461738UI0%29=any | title=Work-related injury : an anthropological analysis of a workers' compensation scheme | publisher=University of Western Australia | accessdate=28 May 2012}}
Political career
In 1986 Watson was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Canning. On election she and Carmen Lawrence were the first female members of the WA Parliament to hold a PhD.
Watson was appointed Minister for Aboriginal Affairs; Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs; and Seniors in February 1991 under Premier Carmen Lawrence. She was appointed Minister for Women's Interests in September 1992. She served in Cabinet until February 1993.{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/Publications+-+Women+Ministers/$FILE/Women+Minister+in+the+Western+Australian+Parliament.pdf | title=Western Australian Parliament Women Ministers 1947 - 2011 | publisher=Parliament of Western Australia | work=Parliamentary Library of Western Australia | date=18 May 2011 | accessdate=28 May 2012}}
When the electorate was dissolved in 1989 she was elected to the electorate of Kenwick. After serving two terms, the seat was abolished and she unsuccessfully stood for the new electorate of Southern River.{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/webcms/webcms.nsf/resources/file-la-members-since-1890/$file/SN+10a+MLAs+Alpha+20+Oct+2005.pdf | title=Members of the Legislative Assembly since 1890: An Alphabetical Listing | publisher=Parliament of Western Australia | work=Parliamentary Library Western Australia | date=20 October 2005 | accessdate=28 May 2012 | author=Corbett, Niamh | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322051713/http://parliament.wa.gov.au/webcms/webcms.nsf/resources/file-la-members-since-1890/$file/SN+10a+MLAs+Alpha+20+Oct+2005.pdf | archive-date=22 March 2012 | url-status=dead }}
Watson was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for "service to the community of Western Australia, and to social justice".{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2004737|title=Dr Judyth Watson|website=honours.pmc.gov.au|access-date=2019-06-11}}
References
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Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia
Category:People educated at Perth Modern School
Category:English emigrants to Australia
Category:People from Burton upon Trent
Category:Australian women nurses
Category:Women members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly