Donald George Mackay
Donald George Mackay | |
---|---|
Born | Yass, New South Wales, Australia | 29 June 1870
Died | 17 September 1958 Sutherland Shire Hospital, Sydney, Australia | (aged 88)
Nationality | Australian |
Occupation(s) | Outdoorsman, explorer, cyclist |
Donald George Mackay
Early life
Donald George Mackay was born on 29 June 1870 at Yass, New South Wales, son of Alexander Mackay, owner of Wallendbeen station, and his wife Annie.[1] Mackay was educated at Wallendbeen Public School and at Oaklands School, Mittagong. After a brief engineering apprenticeship he worked for his father until the latter's death in 1890.[2] During 1890-99 Mackay travelled extensively abroad, and later prospected for gold in western New South Wales.[3]
Cycling expedition around Australia
In July 1899 Mackay belatedly joined brothers Alex and Frank White to become the first men to travel around the continent of Australia on a bicycle. Mackay's 24-in. frame, 29 lb. DUX bicycle[4] was especially strengthened to carry Mackay's weight plus his gear, which included two water cans, a set of tools and bicycle parts, a camera, waterproof rain cloak, diary, food bag, and revolver.[5]
Though Frank White had to abandon the attempt due to mechanical problems, Alex White and Donald Mackay successfully completed the circuit of the Australian continent and returned to Brisbane in March 1900. Though he came in third behind Alex White and Arthur Richardson, he set a record-breaking time of 240 days after an 11,500-mile (17,703 km) ride.[6] On 27 June, Mackay was given a silver presentation trophy valued at 26 guineas (£27 6s)[7] by the Dunlop Tyre Company "in recognition of his meritorious cycle ride around Australia."[8]
Later explorations
Mackay married Amy Isabel Little on 16 April 1902 at Homebush, Sydney. Their home at Port Hacking was on an estuary, facilitating the couple's love of fishing and sailing. Mackay led and financed an expedition to Papua in 1908 to investigate the headwaters of the Purari River. During the following decade he sailed a yacht in the South Pacific, visiting New Zealand and the Dutch East Indies.
In 1926 Mackay financed and accompanied the first of several expeditions to Australia's Northern Territory. During the first expedition, which utilized camel transport, Mackay accompanied anthropologist Dr Herbert Basedow to the Petermann Ranges. In 1928 they explored Arnhem Land.[9]
Aerial survey 1930
Beginning in 1930, Mackay supervised several aerial survey expeditions to Central Australia. The 1930 expedition surveyed the south-western corner of the Northern Territory. Mackay utilised two ANEC III aircraft for the survey, piloted by Captain Frank Neale and Captain H. B. Hussey, with Commander Harry T. Bennett as the navigator and surveyor. The team employed Bob Buck, a well known bushman of Central Australia, to establish a base in the Ehrenberg Range west of Alice Springs. Buck set out with a camel team two months prior to the survey party to take fuel and supplies to the base known as Ilbilba (also spelt Ilbpilla).[10] Using the base as the hub of an imaginary wheel, Commander Bennett had the aircraft fly directly outbound for 250 miles, turn to fly the short side of a triangle, then fly directly inbound to the base making another 250-mile spoke of the wheel. The party made 15 survey flights over 24 days covering an area of 67,000 square miles, mapping and correcting the dimensions of Lake Amadeus and finding a previously unknown to them Lake Mackay,(22°36′S 128°42′E / 22.600°S 128.700°E) the second largest lake in Australia. Lake Anec to the west-north-west of Lake Hopkins was named after the aircraft type.[11] The expedition finished at Adelaide on 28 June 1930.
Aerial survey 1933
The second series of surveys began from Sydney 20 May 1933 using a new aircraft, the
Aerial survey 1935
The third in the series of Mackay aerial survey flights departed Sydney 17 June 1935. Two aircraft were employed, the main one being a
Aerial survey 1937
The fourth and last aerial survey by Donald Mackay used a
Later career
Mackay was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1934[17] and raised to Commander level (CBE) in 1937.[18] He received recognition from the Australian public as a pioneering Australian explorer, whose travels significantly increased man's knowledge of remote areas.
Mackay died on 17 September 1958 in Sutherland Shire Hospital near Sydney. A widower, he had no children.[19]
References
- ^ Carment, David, Mackay, Donald George (1870 - 1958)], Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, Melbourne University Press (1986), pp. 289-290
- ^ Carment, pp. 289-290
- ^ Carment, pp. 289-290
- ^ The DUX Cycle Company of South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, began producing the chain-driven 'safety' bicycle with pneumatic tires around 1890.
- ^ Simpson, Margaret, Cycling around Australia
- ^ Carment, pp. 289-290
- ^ Equivalent to £2,200.00 in 2008 currency values.
- ^ D*Hub 2002/91/2 Presentation Trophy
- ^ Clune, Frank P., Last of the Australian explorers: The story of Donald Mackay Sydney: Angus & Robertson Ltd., 1st ed. (1942), plate 7
- ^ Corke, David, Aviation: The Adventures of Love Bird and Diamond Bird, 22 March 2010
- ^ Bennett, Harry Thring; Mackay, Donald, 1870-1958; Neale, Frank; H.E.C. Robinson Ltd (1937). Donald Mackay Aerial Reconnaissance Survey Expeditions Northern Territory, South & Western Australia : compiled from data obtained in 1930, 1933, 1935 & 1937. H.E.C. R[obinson]Pty Ltd. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Sydney Morning Herald 11 July 1933
- ^ Advocate (Burnie Tas.) 13 January 1934
- ^ The Courier Mail (Brisbane) 16 July 1937
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald, 24 July 1937
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald 20 December 1935
- ^ It's an Honour: OBE. Retrieved 11 February 2014
- ^ It's an Honour: CBE. Retrieved 11 February 2014
- ^ Carment, pp. 289-290
- Basedow, H., Knights of the Boomerang Sydney: The Endeavour Press, 1st ed. (1935)
- Carment, David, Mackay, Donald George (1870 - 1958), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, Melbourne University Press (1986)
- Clune, Frank P., Last of the Australian explorers: The story of Donald Mackay, 1st ed. Sydney: Angus & Robertson Ltd. (1942)
- Corke, David, Aviation: The Adventures of Love Bird and Diamond Bird, 22 March 2010