Watson was a prominent figure in Morwell, being involved in practically every public activity including starting the initial tennis club, president of Gippsland Bowling Association for 15 years, Past Master of the Morwell Masonic and Marc Lodges, and a Justice of the Peace amongst other activities.
However, in 1968 the Elliott Newspaper Group bought the Latrobe Valley Advocate & Advertiser and reinstated them as separate bi-weekly papers from 3 March 1969.
[9] By the late 1960s the Latrobe Valley Express had "severely dented the business of the paid newspapers in the region.
It was suggested that they should start an opposition free paper, however they decided instead to buy out the Latrobe Valley Express.
The Elliott Group was the majority partner with K. S. Hopkins and Sons Pty Ltd, who published the Warragul Gazette.