Kenneth Mackay (Australian politician)

Major-General James Alexander Kenneth Mackay, CB, OBE, VD (5 June 1859 – 16 November 1935), usually known as Kenneth Mackay, was an Australian soldier and politician.

For other people named Kenneth Mackay, see Kenneth MacKay.

Major General

Kenneth Mackay

CB, OBE, VD
Colonel Kenneth Mackay (1901)
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
In office
18 October 1899 – 22 April 1934
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for Boorowa
In office
24 July 1895 – 15 September 1899
Preceded byThomas Slattery
Succeeded byNiels Nielsen
Personal details
Born(1859-06-05)5 June 1859
Wallendbeen, New South Wales
Died16 November 1935(1935-11-16) (aged 76)
Cootamundra, New South Wales
Political partyProtectionist Party
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/serviceNew South Wales Military Forces (1885–01)
Citizens Military Force (1901–20)
Years of service1885–1920
RankMajor-General
Commands1st Light Horse Brigade (1912–14)
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen (1900)
1st Australian Horse (1897–00)
West Camden Light Horse (1885–86)
Battles/warsSecond Boer War
First World War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Mentioned in Despatches
Volunteer Officers' Decoration

Personal life

Born at Wallendenbeen station near Wallendbeen, the second son to pastoralist Alexander Mackay and Annie Mackenzie,[1] he attended Camden College and Sydney Grammar School before farming at his father's property. His brother Donald Mackay went on to aerially survey areas of central Australia.[2]

In 1890 Mackay married Mabel White from Victoria, a member of a squatter family.[3] He died at Cootamundra in 1935, survived by his wife and two daughters (Annie Mabel Baldry and Agnes Jean).[1][4][5]

Military and political life

Loving horses,[1] including being an amateur jockey,[6][3] in 1885 he joined the military volunteers and raised the West Camden Light Horse; he was a commissioned as a captain in 1886.[7]

In 1897 he raised the 1st Australian Volunteer Horse Regiment, and he was elevated lieutenant colonel in 1898. His military force was captured in two poems by Scottish-Australian poet Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963), in The real Mackays! (1898) and Your chance, Mackays! (1899).[8][9]

In 1895 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Boorowa, serving until 1899, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council, where he would remain until 1934. Mackay served as Vice-President of the Executive Council from 1899 to 1900 and from 1903 to 1904.

From 1900 to 1901 he served in the Boer War commanding the 6th Imperial Bushmen's contingent of New South Wales, during which time he was mentioned in despatches. Mackay was awarded the South African War Medal with four clasps.[3]

Promoted colonel and then brigadier in 1912, in that year he was also appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath[10] and awarded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration. He drew up plans for the Australian Army Reserve in 1915, and became its first director-general in 1916.[6][11][12] Considered too old, he was not appointed to active service overseas in World War I, but was camp commandant at Liverpool, Sydney.[6] In 1920 he was promoted brigadier general and later retired as a major general; he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on his retirement.

Writings

Kenneth Mackay published three books of poetry, including Stirrup jingles of sporting and bush verse, and two novels from 1887 to 1908. His books included Outback (1893), The Yellow Wave (1895),[13] and Across Papua.[6]

In 1896 he published a play, To the West, a collaboration with Alfred Dampier.

His poems included the Sons of Britannia still we are (1898)[14]

References
  1. "Obituary: Major-General Mackay". Murrumburrah Signal and County of Harden Advocate. 21 November 1935. p. 2. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  2. "Death of Major-Gen J A K Mackay". The Labor Daily. 18 November 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  3. "Colonel Mackay". Cootamundra Herald. 19 December 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  4. "Major-General Mackay". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. 22 November 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  5. "Major-General James Alexander Kenneth Mackay". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  6. "Major-General Mackay". The Argus (Melbourne). 18 November 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  7. Burness, Peter (1986). "Mackay, James Alexander (1859–1935)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Volume 10. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  8. "The real Mackays!". Western Champion. 6 May 1898. p. 4. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  9. "Your chance, Mackays!". Western Champion. 1 December 1899. p. 4. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  10. "Honors for Australians". Australian Town and Country Journal. 27 April 1901. p. 22. Retrieved 25 November 2017 – via Trove.
  11. "An Army Reserve". Rochester Express. Victoria, Australia. 21 November 1916. p. 3. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  12. "Australian Army Reserve". Cairns Post. 29 April 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  13. "When Australia is Attacked". The Catholic Press. III (106). New South Wales, Australia. 20 November 1897. p. 7. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.
  14. "Sons of Britannia Still Are We". The Sunday Times. 22 April 1900. p. 5. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via Trove.

 

New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Thomas Slattery		 Member for Boorowa
1895–1899		 Succeeded by
Niels Nielsen
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