PM Transcripts

-,,, AUSTRA LIA
PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 22
December 1972
ELIZABETH EVATT
The Prime Minister, Mir. Whitlam, has announced the
appointment of Miss Elizabeth Evatt as a Presidential Member
of the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission.
Deputy President Evatt is the first woman to hold such
a position. A vacancy on the Bench occurred following the
resignation of the Hon. Deputy President, Vernon Watson, to
take up a position as a Judge on the Industrial Commission of
New South Wales.
The decision to replace Mr. Watson with Deputy
President Evatt was made after consultations between Mr. Whitlam
and the nominated Minister for Industrial Affairs, Mr. C. R.
Cameron. Deputy President Evatt has accepted the position and
will take up her appointment at Easter.
CANBERRA. A. C. T.
BACKGROUND Miss Evatt graduated from the University of Sydney with
the Law Medal in March 1955. She was admitted to the New South
Wales and Federal Bars in that year and to the Inner Temple three
years later. She later obtained the Degree of Master of Arts at
Harvard. She lives in London with her husband, Mr. R. Southends,
of the London Bar and their son Robert, 9, and daughter, Anne, 3.
She is at present a staff member working in family law
reform for Lord ( Justice) Scarman's Law Commission.
Miss Evatt is the daughter of well-known Sydney Queen's
Counsel, Mr. Clive Evatt, and the niece of former Labor Leader,
Dr. H. V. Evatt.