Elizabeth Watson-Brown

Elizabeth Watson-Brown
Watson-Brown in 2022
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Ryan
Assumed office
21 May 2022
Preceded byJulian Simmonds
Personal details
Born (1956-10-12) 12 October 1956 (age 68)[1]
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Political partyGreens
ResidenceSt Lucia
Alma materThe University of Queensland BArch(Hons)
OccupationArchitect
Signature

Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP (born 12 October 1956) is an Australian politician and architect who is a member of the Australian Greens, and was elected as the member for the Division of Ryan, Queensland, in the 2022 Australian federal election, defeating Julian Simmonds to win the previously safe Liberal National seat.[2][3] She is the first woman to represent the Greens in the lower house. She lives in St Lucia and has run her own architectural business in western Brisbane for 21 years.[4]

Watson-Brown's architecture career focused on sustainable design, greening cities, urban resilience, accessibility, and social equity.[5] The first house she designed was the Ngungun House on the Sunshine Coast, which was designed and built in the 1990s. She practiced in Tasmania before moving back to Queensland and designing her first house.[6] She helped design the highly controversial 443 Queen Street development in Brisbane. The residential tower, which has been described as "sub-tropical", was the first residential building in Australia to be given a 6 Star Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia.[7][8] Watson-Brown is an adjunct professor of architecture at the University of Queensland, a life fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, has been Queensland State Awards director and National Awards juror, and has held many other design advisory and jury roles.[9]

  1. ^ "Ms Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Ryan (Key Seat) – Federal Electorate, Candidates, Results". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Greens win Liberal-stronghold of Ryan in Brisbane, ahead in Griffith". ABC News. 21 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Architect wins seat of Ryan in historic 'greenslide'". ArchitectureAU. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Elizabeth Watson-Brown". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  6. ^ "First House: Elizabeth Watson Brown". ArchitectureAU. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Welcome to 443 Queen Street, Brisbane – New Apartments for Sale". 443queenst.com. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  8. ^ Caroline (10 July 2017). "Get to know architect Elizabeth Watson Brown, design director with Architectus". The Real Estate Conversation. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Elizabeth Watson Brown - Speakers - Design Speaks. An Architecture Media Program". designspeaks.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.