The ANU Australian Studies Institute, in conjunction with the Chairman of the Britain-Australia Society, invite you to our annual "First Eight Lecture Series" - celebrating the life and times of Australia's first eight Prime Ministers.

Please join Dr. David Headon, leading expert on Australia's early Prime Ministers, who will present this year's lecture on Australia's very first Labor Prime Minister - John Christian (Chris) Watson, with an introduction from the Australian Deputy Head of Mission to the United Kingdom, Ms Elisabeth Bowes.

About the Lecture

Chris Watson (1867-1941) was Australia’s third prime minister. Though his term lasted a bare four months during 1904, he established a number of ‘firsts’, most notably that he led the world’s first national labour/Labor government and, taking office aged 37, he remains our country’s youngest prime minister–and controversially, the only one not born in either Australia or Britain.

About the Speaker

David Headon is a cultural consultant and historian. Formerly Director of the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies, Cultural Adviser to the National Capital Authority and History and Heritage Adviser for the Centenary of Canberra, he is now a Foundation Fellow at the ANU Australian Studies Institute, a Parliamentary Library Associate and the Canberra Raiders club historian.

The First Eight Project is a collaborative project between the Australian Parliamentary Library, Australian Studies Institute (ANU), National Archives of Australia, National Museum of Australia, and Victorian Parliamentary Library.

View photo gallery from the event: