George McDonald (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
George Roy William McDonald (29 January 1883 – 28 July 1951) was an Australia
n politician.
, the son of mining engineer George McDonald and his wife Margaret McNamara. He was educated in public schools in the Parramatta district and became a deposition clerk in the Justice Department at Broken Hill
in 1901. After transferral to the ministerial office in Sydney, his career as a clerk continued through appointments as Clerk of Petty Sessions at Goulburn
, Albury
and finally Bathurst
. He resigned in 1908 and began a crown land and mining agency in Tamworth
, acquiring a similar business in Sydney from 1911 to 1919.
McDonald was called to the Bar in 1927 and admitted as a solicitor in 1937, establishing his own firm. He was also vice-president of the NRMA
in 1924 and continued to be involved with that body.
as the Labor
member for Bingara
. He remained as a Labor member until the State Conference of April 1916, when the conference censured the Labor Government over premier William Holman
's failure to appoint Labor members to the Legislative Council
. Holman's subsequent resignation as Labor leader and replacement with John Storey
, and then the conference's reversal of opinion and reinstatement of Holman as leader, caused something of a farce. During this conference, McDonald resigned both as member for Bingara and from the Labor Party, winning re-election at a by-election as an Independent
after Liberal
Leader Charles Wade
arranged for no conservative opposition. By the 1917 state election, McDonald had joined the new Nationalist Party
, and won election under that designation.
In 1920, McDonald's seat of Bingara was abolished, but he was immediately appointed to the Legislative Council, where he served until 1930. Upon his departure from the Council, he was granted retention of the title "The Honourable
" for life. McDonald contested several federal elections as an independent
, but was never successful.
on 28 July 1951 and was cremated in Woollahra
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician.
Legal career
McDonald was born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the son of mining engineer George McDonald and his wife Margaret McNamara. He was educated in public schools in the Parramatta district and became a deposition clerk in the Justice Department at Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
in 1901. After transferral to the ministerial office in Sydney, his career as a clerk continued through appointments as Clerk of Petty Sessions at Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
, Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
and finally Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
. He resigned in 1908 and began a crown land and mining agency in Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
, acquiring a similar business in Sydney from 1911 to 1919.
McDonald was called to the Bar in 1927 and admitted as a solicitor in 1937, establishing his own firm. He was also vice-president of the NRMA
NRMA
NRMA refers to either of two historically related Australian companies:*The National Roads and Motorists' Association, known as NRMA Motoring and Services, is a member-owned mutual organisation offering , motoring advice and other services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital...
in 1924 and continued to be involved with that body.
Political career
In 1910, McDonald was elected to the New South Wales Legislative AssemblyNew South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
as the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member for Bingara
Electoral district of Bingara
Bingara was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1894, partly from New England, and named after and including Bingara. It was abolished in 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation.-Members for Bingara:...
. He remained as a Labor member until the State Conference of April 1916, when the conference censured the Labor Government over premier William Holman
William Holman
William Arthur Holman was an Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales, Australia, who split with the party on the conscription issue in 1916 during World War I, and immediately became Premier of a conservative Nationalist Party Government.-Early life:Holman was born in St Pancras, London,...
's failure to appoint Labor members to the Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
. Holman's subsequent resignation as Labor leader and replacement with John Storey
John Storey (politician)
John Storey was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales from 12 April 1920 until his sudden death in Sydney...
, and then the conference's reversal of opinion and reinstatement of Holman as leader, caused something of a farce. During this conference, McDonald resigned both as member for Bingara and from the Labor Party, winning re-election at a by-election as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
after Liberal
Liberal Reform Party (Australia)
The Liberal Reform Party was an Australian political party, active in New South Wales state politics between 1901 and 1916. The question of tariff policy which, had created and divided the Free Trade Party and Protectionist Party in New South Wales in the 1890s, became a federal issue at the time...
Leader Charles Wade
Charles Wade
Sir Charles Gregory Wade KCMG was Premier of New South Wales 2 October 1907 – 21 October 1910. According to Percival Serle, "Wade was a public-spirited man of high character...
arranged for no conservative opposition. By the 1917 state election, McDonald had joined the new Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
, and won election under that designation.
In 1920, McDonald's seat of Bingara was abolished, but he was immediately appointed to the Legislative Council, where he served until 1930. Upon his departure from the Council, he was granted retention of the title "The Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
" for life. McDonald contested several federal elections as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, but was never successful.
Personal life
On 4 September 1923, McDonald married May Camille Dezarnaulds, with whom he had a single son. He died at Bellevue HillBellevue Hill, New South Wales
Bellevue Hill is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bellevue Hill is an affluent suburb, located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra....
on 28 July 1951 and was cremated in Woollahra
Woollahra, New South Wales
Woollahra is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra. The Municipality of Woollahra takes its name from the...
.