View source for McLarty–Watts ministry

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2016}}
The '''McLarty–Watts Ministry''' was the 21st [[The Ministry|Ministry]] of the [[Government of Western Australia]], led by [[Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division)|Liberal]] Premier Sir [[Ross McLarty]] and his deputy, [[National Party of Australia (WA)|Country Party]] leader [[Arthur Watts (politician)|Arthur Watts]]. It succeeded the [[Wise Ministry]] on 1 April 1947, following the defeat of the [[Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)|Labor]] government at the [[1947 Western Australian state election|1947 election]] two weeks earlier. It was significant in that it included in [[Florence Cardell-Oliver]] not only the oldest person, at age 70, to receive their first appointment to a ministerial post in Western Australia, but also the first female cabinet minister in Australia.
The ministry was followed by the [[Hawke Ministry (Western Australia)|Hawke Ministry]] on 23 February 1953 after the Coalition lost government at the [[1953 Western Australian state election|state election]] held on 14 February.
==First Ministry==
On 1 April 1947, the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir [[James Mitchell (Australian politician)|James Mitchell]], constituted the Ministry. He designated eight principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the following ministers to their positions, who served until the reconstitution of the Ministry on 7 October 1949. Two honorary members were also appointed.<ref>Hansard Index for 1947–1949, "Legislature of Western Australia"</ref>
The list below is ordered by decreasing seniority within the Cabinet, as indicated by the Government Gazette and the Hansard index. Blue entries indicate members of the Liberal Party, whilst green entries indicate members of the National Country Party. The members of the Ministry were:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Office
! Minister
|-
|
[[Premier of Western Australia|Premier]]<br/>
[[Treasurer of Western Australia|Treasurer]]<br/>
Minister for Housing (until 5 January 1948)<br/>
[[Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)|Minister for Forests]] (until 5 January 1948)<br/>
[[Minister for the North-West]]<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Ross McLarty]], MM, MLA
|-
|
[[Deputy Premier of Western Australia|Deputy Premier]]<br/>
[[Minister for Education (Western Australia)|Minister for Education]]<br/>
Minister for Industrial Development<br/>
Minister for Local Government<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Arthur Watts (politician)|Arthur Watts]], CMG, MLA
|-
|
Minister for Native Affairs
(until 5 January 1948:)
: [[Attorney-General of Western Australia|Attorney-General]]
: [[Minister for Police (Western Australia)|Minister for Police]]
(from 5 January 1948)
: [[Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)|Minister for Forests]]
: Minister for Housing
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Robert Ross McDonald]], [[King's Counsel|KC]], [[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Lands (Western Australia)|Minister for Lands]]<br/>
[[Minister for Labour (Western Australia)|Minister for Labour]]<br/>
[[Minister for Agriculture (Western Australia)|Minister for Agriculture]] (until 5 January 1948)<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Lindsay Thorn]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Mines (Western Australia)|Minister for Mines]]<br/>
[[Minister for Health (Western Australia)|Minister for Health]] (until 5 January 1948)
(from 5 January 1948:)
: Chief Secretary
: [[Minister for Police (Western Australia)|Minister for Police]]
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Hubert Parker]], DSO, VD, MLC
|-
|
[[Minister for Works (Western Australia)|Minister for Works]]<br/>
Minister for Water Supplies<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Victor Doney]], MLA
|-
|
Chief Secretary (until 5 January 1948)<br/>
[[Attorney-General of Western Australia|Attorney-General]] (from 5 January 1948)<br/>
[[Minister for Health (Western Australia)|Minister for Health]] (from 5 January 1948)<br/>
Minister for Fisheries<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Arthur Abbott]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Transport (Western Australia)|Minister for Transport]]<br/>
Minister for Railways<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Harrie Seward]], MLA
|-
|
Honorary Minister for Supply and Shipping
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Florence Cardell-Oliver]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Agriculture (Western Australia)|Honorary Minister for Agriculture]] (from 5 January 1948)<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Garnet Barrington Wood]], MLC
|}
==First Ministry (reconstituted)==
On 7 October 1949, the Governor, Sir [[James Mitchell (Australian politician)|James Mitchell]], reconstituted the Ministry. He designated eight principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the following ministers to their positions, who served until the Ministry was reformed on 6 April 1950 after the [[1950 Western Australian state election|1950 election]]. As previously, two honorary ministers were appointed, with [[David Brand]] replacing [[Robert Ross McDonald]] in the Ministry.<ref>{{Gazette WA|title=Premier's Department|date=7 October 1949|page=1949:?}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Office
! Minister
|-
|
[[Premier of Western Australia|Premier]]<br/>
[[Treasurer of Western Australia|Treasurer]]<br/>
[[Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)|Minister for Forests]]<br/>
[[Minister for the North-West]]<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Ross McLarty]], MM, MLA
|-
|
[[Deputy Premier of Western Australia|Deputy Premier]]<br/>
[[Minister for Education (Western Australia)|Minister for Education]]<br/>
Minister for Industrial Development<br/>
Minister for Housing<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Arthur Watts (politician)|Arthur Watts]], CMG, MLA
|-
|
Chief Secretary<br/>
[[Minister for Mines (Western Australia)|Minister for Mines]]<br/>
[[Minister for Police (Western Australia)|Minister for Police]]<br/>
Minister for Native Affairs<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Hubert Parker]], DSO, VD, MLC
|-
|
[[Minister for Lands (Western Australia)|Minister for Lands]]<br/>
[[Minister for Labour (Western Australia)|Minister for Labour]]<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Lindsay Thorn]], MLA
|-
|
[[Attorney-General of Western Australia|Attorney-General]]<br/>
Minister for Fisheries<br/>
Minister for Prices<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Arthur Abbott]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Works (Western Australia)|Minister for Works]]<br/>
Minister for Water Supplies<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Victor Doney]], MLA
|-
|
Minister for Supply and Shipping<br/>
[[Minister for Health (Western Australia)|Minister for Health]]<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Florence Cardell-Oliver]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Transport (Western Australia)|Minister for Transport]]<br/>
Minister for Railways<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Harrie Seward]], MLA
|-
|
Honorary Minister for Housing, [[Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)|Forests]] and Local Government
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[David Brand]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Agriculture (Western Australia)|Honorary Minister for Agriculture]]<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Garnet Barrington Wood]], MLC
|}
==Second Ministry==
On 6 April 1950, the Governor, Sir [[James Mitchell (Australian politician)|James Mitchell]], constituted the Ministry. He designated eight principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the following ministers to their positions, who served until the end of the Ministry.<ref>{{Gazette WA|title=Premier's Department|date=6 April 1950|page=1950:845}}</ref> On 24 October 1950, following the assent of the ''Acts Amendment (Increase in number of Ministers of the Crown) Act 1950'' (No.2 of 1950), the Ministry was expanded to 10 members and the two Honorary Ministers were promoted. The listed Ministers served until the end of the Ministry on 23 February 1953.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Office
! Minister
|-
|
[[Premier of Western Australia|Premier]]<br/>
[[Treasurer of Western Australia|Treasurer]]
(until 24 October 1950:)
: [[Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)|Minister for Forests]]
: [[Minister for the North-West]] (also from 17 January 1952)
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Ross McLarty]], MM, MLA
|-
|
[[Deputy Premier of Western Australia|Deputy Premier]]<br/>
[[Minister for Education (Western Australia)|Minister for Education]]<br/>
Minister for Child Welfare<br/>
Minister for Industrial Development<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Arthur Watts (politician)|Arthur Watts]], CMG, MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Works (Western Australia)|Minister for Works]]<br/>
Minister for Water Supplies<br/>
Minister for Housing (until 24 October 1950)<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[David Brand]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Lands (Western Australia)|Minister for Lands]]<br/>
[[Minister for Labour (Western Australia)|Minister for Labour]]<br/>
Minister for Immigration<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Lindsay Thorn]], MLA
|-
|
[[Attorney-General of Western Australia|Attorney-General]]<br/>
[[Minister for Police (Western Australia)|Minister for Police]]<br/>
Minister for Fisheries<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Arthur Abbott]], MLA
|-
|
Chief Secretary<br/>
Minister for Local Government<br/>
Minister for Native Affairs<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Victor Doney]], MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Health (Western Australia)|Minister for Health]]<br/>
Minister for Supply and Shipping<br/>
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | Dame [[Florence Cardell-Oliver]], DBE, MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Transport (Western Australia)|Minister for Transport]]<br/>
Minister for Railways<br/>
[[Minister for Mines (Western Australia)|Minister for Mines]]<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Charles Simpson (Australian politician)|Charles Simpson]], MLC
|-
|
Honorary Minister for Agriculture and North-West (until 24 October 1950)<br/>
[[Minister for Agriculture (Western Australia)|Minister for Agriculture]] (24 October 1950 – 17 January 1952)<br/>
[[Minister for the North-West]] (24 October 1950 – 17 January 1952)<br/>
| style="background:#CCFFCC" | [[Garnet Barrington Wood]], MLC<br/>(until 3 January 1952)<ref>On 3 January 1952, Garnet Barrington Wood died while attending a Cabinet meeting in the Treasury building. However, he formally remained a Minister until 17 January.</ref>
|-
|
Honorary Minister for Housing and Mines (until 24 October 1950)
(from 24 October 1950:)
:Minister for Housing
:[[Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)|Minister for Forests]]
| style="background:#CCDDFF" | [[Gerald Wild]], MBE, MLA
|-
|
[[Minister for Agriculture (Western Australia)|Minister for Agriculture]]
|| Sir [[Charles Latham]], MLC<br/>(from 17 January 1952)
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before=[[Wise Ministry]] | title=[[Western Australian ministries|McLarty–Watts Ministry]] | years=1947-1953 | after=[[Hawke Ministry (Western Australia)|Hawke Ministry]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Western Australian ministries}}
{{Liberal Party (WA)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLarty-Watts Ministry}}
[[Category:Western Australian ministries]]
[[Category:Ministries of Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Ministries of George VI]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Australia ministries in Western Australia]]