John Watt Beattie (1859-1930) was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, son of John Beattie, portrait photographer, and Esther Imlay, nee Gillivray. JW Beattie migrated to Tasmania with his family in 1878, first settling on a property near New Norfolk. ;;From 1879, he made many photographic expeditions into the bush, photographing Tasmanian landscapes. He became a full-time professional in 1882 in partnership with Anson Bros whom he bought out in 1891. As a result of Beattie's takeover, the business grew to occupy the entire building in Elizabeth Street, with separate rooms for portraits, groups and exhibitions, and access to a rooftop for sun printing. In the 1890s, Beattie broadened his entrepreneurial work, creating a museum in his photographic studio, which displayed his enthusiasm for preserving local history, including relics of early colonial Tasmanian history. ;;In 1896, he was appointed Photographer to the Government of Tasmania. His purpose was to inform the public, through his photographs and collections, of Tasmania's scenic beauty, fascinating history and potential for industrial development. In 1911, J.W. Beattie developed hundreds of photographic plates taken by Roald Amundsen's team on their historic South Pole Expedition. J.W. Beattie became one of the best-known Australian outdoor photographers to deliver travelling illustrated magic lantern shows, a popular form of public entertainment before the 1920s. In 1930, at the age of 71, John Watt Beattie died, leaving behind him one of the most complete visual records of Tasmanian history.