Colin McKellar

Colin McKellar
The Honourable; Colin McKellar
Minister for Repatriation
	In office; 22 December 1964 – 12 November 1969
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies; Harold Holt; John McEwen; John Gorton
Preceded by	Reg Swartz
Succeeded by	Mac Holten
Senator for New South Wales
	In office; 22 November 1958 – 13 April 1970
Preceded by	James Ormonde
Succeeded by	Douglas Scott
Personal details
Born	29 May 1903; Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia
Died	13 April 1970 (aged 66); Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Country
Spouse(s)	Florence Emily Smith
Occupation	Farmer, soldier

Gerald Colin McKellar (29 May 1903 – 13 April 1970) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Country Party and served as a Senator for New South Wales from 1958 until his death in 1970. He was Minister for Repatriation from 1964 to 1969.

Early life

McKellar was born in Gulgong, New South Wales and educated at Gilgandra and became a wheat and sheep farmer in the Gilgandra area. He married Florence Emily Smith in 1926. He commanded the local militia from 1936 and was appointed a major in the second Australian Imperial Force in September 1942. He was transferred to the reserves in April 1946. After World War II, he became an official in several farming organisations.[1]

Political career

McKellar in 1958.

McKellar was elected as a Country Party Senator at the 1958 election. In December 1964, he was appointed Minister for Repatriation. He was obliged to implement Cabinet's decision to cut costs despite the strenuous opposition of the Returned Services League. During the Holt government, he also came under strong pressure over the VIP flights affair as he represented the Minister for Air Peter Howson in the Senate. He agreed not to be appointed to the second Gorton Ministry in November 1969, on grounds of ill-health and five months later died of coronary heart disease, survived by his wife and three sons.[1]

The Canberra suburb of McKellar was named after him in 1974.

References

Schneider, Russell (2000). "McKellar, Gerald Colin (1903–1970)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 16 January 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.

Political offices
Preceded by Reginald Swartz	Minister for Repatriation 1964–1969	Succeeded by Mac Holten

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[adb-1] Schneider, Russell (2000). "McKellar, Gerald Colin (1903–1970)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 16 January 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.