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   DONALD GEORGE MACKAY (1870-1958)

The last of the great Australian explorers

Donald George Mackay, F.R.G.S., O.B.E., a man who shunned publicity, was one of the most notable yet least known Australian personalities of the 20th century, the son of one of the pioneers of inland settlement in New South Wales. He was born on 29 June 1870 at Yass, New South Wales, the fourth child and second son of Alexander Mackay, owner of Wallendbeen station, and his wife Annie, nee Mackenzie, both Scottish born.

 Donald was educated at home by a governess, then at Wallendbeen Public School and at Oaklands School, Mittagong. At age seventeen, he was apprenticed to an engineering firm in Sydney but, unhappy at that job, he soon returned to his father’s property, Wallendbeen, to work as a jackeroo. The bush and the outback were more to his liking.

 After his father’s death in 1890, Donald inherited a substantial income which allowed him to travel extensively throughout the world including New Zealand, Japan, and Europe. He lived life full of varied adventures one of which was gold prospecting in western New South Wales.

 On 29 July,1899, Mackay set out from Brisbane, with Frank White, to bicycle around Australia. After White abandoned the ride, he returned to Brisbane on 27 March, 1900, having cycled 11, 000 miles (17,700 kilometres) through little known huge areas which impressed on him the vastness of the country.

 On 16 April, 1902, Donald Mackay married Amy Isobel Little at Burwood, New South Wales.  They then settled at Port Hacking where fishing, sailing, sculling, hiking and his speedboat were some of Donald’s interests.  His ambitions for exploration found him, in 1908, with a party leaving for Papua to investigate the headwaters of the Purari River. During the expedition, they also -discovered a coalfield.

 During the next decade, Mackay bought a yacht and cruised in the South Seas in search of hidden treasure.  During his travels, he collected tattoos until he was a walking art gallery.

 Donald Mackay tried to enlist during World War I but, to his surprise, was declared medically unfit.  He tried to help the war effort through donations and fund raising and, after the war, bore the entire cost of the war memorial –  a 36 foot high, grey granite obelisk -  erected in Wallendbeen to the memory of the men who had served in the armed forces abroad.

 In 1826, Mackay financed and accompanied the first of several expeditions to the Northern Territory when, with anthopologist Dr. Herbert Basedow, he went into the Petermann Ranges by camel.  In 1928 they explored  Arnhem Land on horseback.  In 1930, 1933, 1935 and 1937 Mackay financed and led aerial surveys of Central Australia and discovered a large lake which the government named after him. 

The great possibilities of using aircraft in survey work were demonstrated for the first time in an attempt to produce accurate maps of the physical features of the inland.  With flights leaving from three bases – in the Peterman Range, southeast of Port Hedland at the head of the Fortescue River and the Fitzroy River - the surveys covered some 560,000 square miles and produced more useful maps than had previously existed and corrected the few maps that were already in existence.  Copies of all Mackay’s maps and reports were donated to the Commonwealth Government and the Mitchell Library, Sydney.

To commemmorate the successs  of her husband’s 1935 exploration, Amy Mackay presented a unique memorial to the Sutherland Shire Council – a drinking fountain for all living creatures.  Designed by Thomas D Esplin and constructed by John (Jack) Connors, of Caringbah, an inscription from Isiah 55.1, read ’Come ye to the waters’ and there were separate drinking facilities for humans, small troughs for horses and dogs, a bird bath and bubblers with a step for small children.  There was a sundial and a bronze pillar supporting a 14 inch diameter opal lighting ball. Local sandstone was used for the flagging, fountain and surrounding seats and walls.  The fountain was located at the intersection of Port Hacking Road (South) and the Kingsway, Caringbah. This was where the local RSL held their remembrance services on Anzac Day.

However, as Caringbah grew and traffic lights were planned for this important road junction, it was obvious that the memorial would have to be moved.  On the recommendation of the Shire Engineer, in 1972, the memorial was moved to the small park adjoining the Caringbah Hotel.  It was reconstructed in a more simple shape and minus the horse and dog troughs, the bubbler, the sundial and seats.  The area behind was landscaped and the column was engraved with the words ‘Lest We Forget’. It is still used on Anzac Day.

 In 1934 Donald George Mackay was awarded an OBE and in 1937 was awarded a CBE for his efforts. He retired to his home on Port Hacking and continued with his quiet acts of philanthropy, always attending Caringbah Public School for the Empire Day celebrations.  Shortly after Caringbah RSL was formed Donald learned that a site was needed on which to erect a second-hand quonset hut.  He offered the Sub-branch the free use of a block of land he owned on the corner of Cawarra(then) and Banksia Roads. Some years later, he transferred the land to the Sub-branch so that the club building could be erected on the site. Although in poor health, Donald Mackay drove to the site to lay the foundation stone but did not live to see the building completed.  The RSL asked the council to rename this short street ‘Mackay Street’ to which the Council agreed. For many years, on the Saturday closest to the 19 September, members would gather at the entrance to the Memorial Club, near a photograph of Donald Mackay to honour a generous man after whom the club building was named.

 In 1942, the book ‘Last of the Explorers’ by the Australian author, Frank Clune, was released.  It is the story of a remarkable man, his adventurous life and pioneering family.  In the book, Donald Mackay paid tribute to his wife, Amy, who accompanied him on many of his adventures ‘I got a real good sport for a life mate …..getting married was the most sensible thing I ever did in my life’. 

 Donald George Mackay died at Sutherland Hospital on 17 September 1958 and was cremated at Woronora Cemetery. His wife, Amy Isobel, died in 1956 and was cremated at Woronora Cemetery. There were no children of the marriage.

Further information about the Mackay family can be found in the family tree database on this website:

MACKAY, Donald George -- Click on the heading of this story.

MACKAY, Alexander

MACKAY, James Alexander Kenneth

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