George Mackay

George Hugh Alexander Mackay (20 March 18725 November 1961) was an Australian politician at state and federal level. He served in the Queensland Legislative Assembly as a Liberal from 1912 to 1915, before winning the Division of Lilley as a Nationalist at the 1917 federal election. Mackay joined the new United Australia Party (UAP) in 1931 and served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1932 until his retirement in 1934. Early life Mackay was born at Copperfield, near Clermont in Queensland, to Scottish-born carpenter Hugh Mackay and Jane, née Baird. He attended the state schools at Clermont and Bundaberg before becoming an apprentice printer at the Peak Downs Telegram in 1887. In 1894 he was promoted to foreman printer, and finally became managing editor. He married Edith Ann Heard on 23 September 1896 at the Wesleyan Church in Clermont, after which he joined his sister Barbara in the local bookshop and newsagency. He was elected to Clermont Town Council in 1882 and served as mayor 1900–02. Mackay moved to Lismore in New South Wales in 1902 before leasing a dairy farm at McLean's Ridge. Shortly afterwards, in 1905, the family moved back to Queensland, settling at Gympie, where Mackay opened an auctioneering and real estate business in partnership with Ray King. In 1911 he was elected to Gympie City Council; he was mayor in 1917.