Watermark
Our founder Edward Elijah Waters was born in 1837 in London and worked as a clerk at a lawyer’s office before emigrating to Australia in 1855 on the "Queen of the Seas". In 1859 he and Edwin Hart set up Hart and Waters, which was situated at 63 Little Collins Street East, and their first patent application was filed on 9 May of that year. By 1865 Edward Waters was practising on his own as E Waters, patent agent.
In 1868, Edward Waters married Ellen Mary Needham - a union which produced five sons and four daughters. His son Edward Needham Waters later joined the firm in 1896 and the name was changed to Edward Waters and Son.
Edward Waters was the first president of The Australasian Institute of Patent Agents which was formed in 1890. As he remained in practice from 1859 until shortly before his death in 1917, he is widely acknowledged as the father of the profession in Australia. His son Edward made a similar mark on the profession. Often referred to as "The Colonel" (he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 4th light horse battalion during World War I) he was the driving force and first president of the new Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia formed in 1920 to reunite the profession which had divided into two separate associations in 1916. The Institute continues in this format to the present day.
The firm was and continues to be a major force in the profession in both Australia and overseas. In 1896, an Edward Waters advertisement began: "For the last 36 years I have conducted more than one-half of the whole of the patent business of this and the adjoining colonies...". While such an enviable market share is beyond the reach of any firm these days, Watermark remains one of the significant patent & trade mark firms in Australia and continues to enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide. Watermark has offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
After Edward Needham Waters' death in 1936 the firm continued to be owned and administered by the trustees of the estate. Walter Sigmont and Jack MacGregor ran the firm which continued to grow and flourish. Eventually, in 1980, an arrangement was made between the trustees and the principals of the firm to buy out the rights to the name.
In 1986, the name was changed to Watermark.