Angus Mackay (15 August 1834 – 8 February 1910) was a journalist, trade commissioner, agricultural researcher and lecturer, and a member of the

Queensland Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly h ...

Early life

Mackay was born in Wick, Caithness,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, more specifically,

Strathnaver Strathnaver or Strath Naver ( gd, Srath Nabhair) is the fertile strath of the River Naver, a famous salmon river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland. The term has a broader use as the name of an ancient province also kn ...

or ''Mackay Country'', to John Mackay and Ann née Gordon. He was educated in

Helmsdale Helmsdale ( sco, Helmsdal, gd, Bun Ilidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths ...

. At some time he had been a bridge worker in London, a compositor for the ''

New-York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...

'', an overseer for a cotton plantation in Georgia, US, and with the NSW Department of Agriculture. He arrived in Queensland in 1862, and at one time, lived at Milton.

Careers

Journalist

Mackay was the first editor of ''

The Queenslander ''The Queenslander'' was the weekly summary and literary edition of the '' Brisbane Courier'', the leading journal in the colony—and later, federal state—of Queensland since the 1850s. ''The Queenslander'' was launched by the Brisbane New ...

'' (published from 1866 to 1939), and was listed as the agricultural editor. After 1877 on return to Queensland from Philadelphia, he became the editor of the ''

Australian Town and Country Journal Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

''. Concluding as an agricultural professor in Sydney by 1897, and briefly working in Victoria, he returned to Scotland for his health, and became ajournalist with ''The Celtic Monthly: A magazine for Highlanders'' (published from 1876 to 1912) in Glasgow, Scotland.

Researcher

He published several works including: * ''The sugar-cane in Australia'' (1883), * ''The semi-tropical agriculturalist, and colonists' guide'' (1875; 224 pages), * ''Treatise on the native grasses of Australia'' (receiving the 1875 first prize by the

Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

), * ''The Australian agriculturalist and colonists'' (1890), and * ''Introduction to Australian agricultural practice, for teachers and pupils in Public Schools'' (1890), a manual produced by the NSW Public Instruction Department. He also presented various articles at the annual Queensland Exhibition, including on cotton in 1875.

Trade commissioner (1876 World Fair)

Mackay was made the Queensland trade commissioner to the 1876

Centennial International Exhibition The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Leaving in January 1876, he was tasked with promoting Queensland mining and industry, and authorised to purchase labour-saving and other devices at the Exhibition. Exhibits included 200 specimens, long and square, of Queensland timber, and ores such as tin and copper. A NSW orchardist and businessman attending the Exhibition in July observed: :But Queensland, for good management, takes the palm. I don't know who had the arrangement of this department, but certainly he deserves credit. The space was nicely divided, the goods were well classed, and everything could be seen with ease. The minerals were all in order on shelves close to the walks ; behind them were a row of woods; and a great variety they had. Above them, and all around the department, were pictures giving views of all parts of Queensland, showing farm and station life, first, second, and third class lands; and giving a stranger a better idea of the country than almost anything else could. The centre space was filled up with heavy goods, and showed well. I say, Well done, Queensland! though youngest, not least. Mackay returned in February 1877 to a warm reception and praise. Many of the devices purchased were displayed at the Queensland Exhibition in September 1877. He also made notes about constructing low-cost railways across Queensland, and tabled a report to government in March 1877; reviewed the lines from Rockhampton to the

Comet River The Comet River is a river located in Central Queensland, Australia. Geography Formed by the confluence of the Brown River and Clematis Creek, the Comet River rises in the Expedition Range, north of Expedition National Park and south of Roll ...

; and continued in his persistent views when a politician, which were credited with informing the public.

Politician, Queensland (1878–1880)

Having lived in the

electoral district of South Brisbane South Brisbane, also known as Brisbane South, is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The electorate encompasses suburbs in Brisbane's inner-south, stretching from East Brisbane to West End, and south to Annerley. ...

for sixteen years, and after waiting for the dissolution following the death of sitting member T. B. Stephens MLA, he came forward as a candidate in October 1878. One of his interests was to see a railway line come to the electorate, and where placed, could 'obviate the necessity of increasing taxation'; as well as tramways. He was the member for the state seat of Brisbane South from 1878 until 1880. Mackay resigned in March 1880, although the party leader of the liberal faction,

Samuel Griffith Sir Samuel Walker Griffith, (21 June 1845 – 9 August 1920) was an Australian judge and politician who served as the inaugural Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1903 to 1919. He also served a term as Chief Justice of Queensland and t ...

had waited some days before tabling the document to Parliament, where: : His delicate health and the worry and turmoil of parliamentary life are altogether unsuited to his habits and temperament. Besides Mr. Mackay can serve the people of Queensland much better out of Parliament than in it.

Professor of agriculture, Sydney

Mackay was later a lecturer when agricultural classes were commenced in 1887, becoming the highly respected Professor of Agriculture at the Sydney Technical College . (He was given to be a lecturer by November 1886, so he may have started earlier.) He used the post-nominals FCS, indicating he was a Fellow of the

Chemical Society The Chemical Society was a scientific society formed in 1841 (then named the Chemical Society of London) by 77 scientists as a result of increased interest in scientific matters. Chemist Robert Warington was the driving force behind its creation. ...

. During his time he delivered a lecture on 'diary farming' (1888), a series of lectures on 'Irrigation as a means of improving our agricultural prospects' (1888), and looked at the gumming disease in sugar cane in the Clarence River area in the north of the State in 1893. He occupied the position until 1897, given 'the state of his health led him to seek change and rest in his mother land'. Residing in Balmain, it appears the former 'Chief Instructor in Agriculture for New South Wales Government' did not immediately return to Scotland, as in April 1897 he left 'to fill an important position at the Wesley College, under the Victorian Government'.

Later life

Mackay married Marjory Ross in London, and together had one son and six daughters (including William d. 1912, John Ross 1863–1864, Marjory b. 1865, Angus b. 1876, Johanna b. 1869, Angus b. 1871, Elizabeth Catherine b. 1867, Jean b. 1879). For the newly-formed Highland Society of Queensland in 1866, Mackay was designated 'first chieftain (treasurer)'. He was a member of Clan Mackay, and the Southamptom Caledonian Society. He died in

Portobello, Edinburgh Portobello is a coastal suburb of Edinburgh in eastern central Scotland. It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of the city centre, facing the Firth of Forth, between the suburbs of Joppa and Craigentinny. Although historically it was a town in it ...

, in February 1910.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackay, Angus Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1834 births 1910 deaths Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia Wesley College (Victoria) TAFE NSW