Katherine Ada Mackay (10 December 1901 – 15 June 1975) was an Australian police officer who was one of the first women to hold high rank in the

Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victo ...

. Mackay was born in

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, to Emma (née Foord) and Robert Mackay. Her father was a merchant, and the family lived for periods in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

before eventually settling in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. After leaving school, Mackay found work as a typist and stenographer for the Motor Registration Branch. She later joined the Victoria Police in the same capacity, working in the office of the commissioner of police. In 1930, Mackay joined the police force itself, as one of eight women officers at the time. She was initially assigned to the plainclothes branch, but later joined the Criminal Investigation Bureau. She was promoted to senior constable in 1943, and made officer-in-charge of the women's section operating out of Russell Street; by that time the number of policewomen had grown to 15. Mackay was mainly assigned to cases involving women, but received several commendations for her work. She passed the required examinations for promotion to sergeant in 1953, but was not promoted as her superiors were unwilling to give her authority over male colleagues (unlike in other states, where there were a number of women in leadership positions). She appealed that decision to the Police Classification Board, which dismissed her complaint; the case received extensive media coverage. However, following a reorganisation in 1956 a separate seniority list for women was created, and Mackay was promoted to sergeant. She served as Officer-in-Charge of the new Women Police Branch from its creation until her retirement in 1961. Mackay, Katherine Ada (1901–1975)
''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

'', 2000. Retrieved 30 November 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackay, Katherine 1901 births 1975 deaths Australian police officers Women police officers People from Colombo British expatriates in New Zealand British emigrants to Australia British expatriates in British Ceylon