Kenneth Walter C Watson MBE – Manly LSC
Joined Manly Life Saving Club 1917
11/11/1917 – Bronze Medallion No. 711
1921 – 1922 – Open Men’s Surf 2nd Australian Championships
1922 – 1923 – Open Men’s Surf 1st Australian Championships
1925 – 1926 – Open Men’s Surf Teams 1st Australian Championships
1925 – 1926 – Executive Committee SLSA
1926 – 1927 – Executive Committee SLSA
1927 – 1928 – Executive Committee SLSA
1927 – 1928 – 1st Open R & R Australian Championships
1928 – Awarded Life Membership Manly LSC
1941 – Awarded Life Membership SLSA of Australia
1949 – Awarded Life Membership SLSNSW State
1959 – 1960 – Awarded Life Membership Sydney Northern Beaches Branch
1964 – Awarded MBE
- Awarded SLSA Hall of Fame
Ken Watson was Chief Superintend of the SLSA from 1945 until 1950; has been Honorary Secretary – Treasurer of the National Council since its inception in 1951; has been Honorary Secretary – Treasurer of the International Council of Surf Life Saving Associations since the formation in 1956; was Honorary Secretary and organiser of the International Convention on Life Saving, held in Sydney in March, 1960.
Ken Watson. Devoted his entire life to surf lifesaving, he gained his Bronze Medallion when under the age of sixteen on 11 November 1917 No. 711 and his Instructors Certificate on 13 November, 1919 No. 89. An excellent competitor, it is believed that he was the first Junior to win an open surf race, Ken won the Australian Surf Championship in 1922-23, after being runner-up the year before; the Australian Surf Relay Championship 1925 – 1926; the Australian R & R Premiership 1927 – 1918.
At Club level Ken, Was Secretary 1922 – 1923, Club Captain 1925 – 1930, and President 1946 – 1950.
At Association level, he was a member of the Board of Examiners from 1923 – 1966, Superintendent SLSA 1946 – 1950, Secretary/Treasurer SLSA 1950 – 1966, Manager South African team 1955, Hon. Secretary/Treasurer International Council SLS 1956 – 1966.
Ken was awarded with Life Membership of Manly LSC in 1928 and the SLSA of Australia in 1941. He was Life Membership of SLSNSW in 1949 and awarded an MBE
Ken was awarded SNB Life Membership prior to 1959.
Ken passed away on November 5th, 1982. He was aged 80.
