Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

James Alexander Kenneth Mackay, (5 June 1859 – 16 November 1935), usually known as Kenneth Mackay, was an Australian soldier and politician. __TOC__

Personal life

Born at Wallendenbeen station near

Wallendbeen Wallendbeen is a small town in southern New South Wales, Australia, administered by Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the , Wallendbeen and the surrounding area had a population of 305. The town's name is derived from an aboriginal word ...

, the second son to pastoralist Alexander Mackay and Annie Mackenzie, 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. In 1890 Mackay married Mabel White from Victoria, a member of a squatter family. He died at Cootamundra in 1935, survived by his wife and two daughters (Annie Mabel Baldry and Agnes Jean).

Military and political life

Loving horses, including being an amateur jockey, in 1885 he joined the military volunteers and raised the West Camden Light Horse; he was a commissioned as a captain in 1886. 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). In 1895 he was elected to the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament Ho ...

as the member for

Boorowa Boorowa () is a farming village in the Hilltops Region in the south west slopes of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in a valley southwest of Sydney around above sea-level. The town is in Hilltops Council local government area. H ...

, serving until 1899, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council. Mackay served as

Vice-President of the Executive Council The Vice-President of the Executive Council is the minister in the Government of Australia who acts as the presiding officer of meetings of the Federal Executive Council when the Governor-General is absent. The Vice-President of the Executiv ...

and Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council in the

Lyne ministry __NOTOC__ The Lyne ministry was the 29th ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the 13th Premier, Sir William Lyne, KCMG. Lyne was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1880 as member for Hume, serving in t ...

from September 1899 to April 1900, when he left to serve in the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

until 1901, commanding the 6th Imperial Bushmen's contingent of New South Wales. He saw action at Elands River, was mentioned in despatches, and made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). Mackay was awarded the South African War Medal with four clasps, (Rhodesia, Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony) Whilst in South Africa he stood as a candidate for the Australian Senate at the 1901 election, but was unsuccessful. He returned from South Africa in July 1901. He resumed his former position of Vice President of the Executive Council and Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council in 1903 as part of the

See ministry __NOTOC__ The See ministry was the 30th ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 14th Premier, Sir John See. The title of Premier was widely used to refer to the Leader of Government, but was not a formal position in the ...

, serving until 1904. He continued to serve in the Legislative Council until 1934 when the council was reformed by members indirectly elected by the Parliament. Promoted

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

and then

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

in 1912 and awarded the

Volunteer Officers' Decoration The Volunteer Officers' Decoration, post-nominal letters VD, was instituted in 1892 as an award for long and meritorious service by officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force. Award of the decoration was discontinued in the United Kingdom ...

. He drew up plans for the Australian Army Reserve in 1915, and became its first director-general in 1916. Considered too old, he was not appointed to active service overseas in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was appointed to conduct an inquiry into the

Liverpool riot of 1916 The Liverpool Riot of 1916 also known as the Battle of Central Station was an event in Sydney, Australia where a large group of Australian soldiers rioted through the streets of Sydney and surrounding areas on 14 February 1916 and into the e ...

by soldiers at the

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

and

Casula Casula is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 34 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool. Casula is the first suburb immediatel ...

camps. In 1920 he was promoted

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and later retired as a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. He was appointed an 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), and ''Across Papua''. In 1896 he published a play, ''To the West'', a collaboration with

Alfred Dampier Alfred Dampier (28 February 1843? 1847? – 23 May 1908) was an English-born actor-manager and playwright, active in Australia.John Rickard,Dampier, Alfred (1843–1908), ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 4, Melbourne University Pres ...

. His poems included the ''Sons of Britannia still we are'' (1898)

References

External links

James Alexander Mackay
at ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB.anu.edu.au) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackay, Kenneth 1859 births 1935 deaths 19th-century Australian writers 20th-century Australian writers Australian Companions of the Order of the Bath Australian farmers Australian generals Australian military personnel of the Second Boer War Australian military personnel of World War I Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Australian male short story writers Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council Military personnel from New South Wales People from Cootamundra