Donald Mackinnon
Donald MacKinnon (29 September 1859 – 25 April 1932) was an Australian politician.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Hon._Donald_Mackinnon%2C_10-11-24_LCCN2016849631.jpg/220px-Hon._Donald_Mackinnon%2C_10-11-24_LCCN2016849631.jpg)
Early life
[edit]Born at Marida Yallock near Boorcan in Victoria to grazier David Mackinnon and Jane Kinross, both Scottish-born, he was educated at Geelong Grammar School, Melbourne University and New College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. In 1883 he was called to the English Bar, returning to Victoria to repeat the achievement in 1884. At his father's death in 1889 he took over the family property, and also acquired grazing property in New South Wales and Queensland. On 19 August 1891 he married Hilda Eleanor Marie Bunny, sister of the artist Rupert Bunny; they had five children.[1]
Politics
[edit]In 1900 Mackinnon was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the Liberal member for Prahran, serving as party leader from 1904 to 1907. He was Attorney-General of Victoria and Solicitor-General of Victoria in the William Watt and Alexander Peacock governments. He was defeated in 1920.[1]
After the failure of the first plebiscite on conscription during World War I, Mackinnon was appointed Commonwealth Director-General of Recruiting on 29 November 1916.[1]
Later life
[edit]Mackinnon's son Dan was a member of the Australian House of Representatives, and his grandson Donald James was also a Victorian state MP. Mackinnon died in 1932 at Toorak.[2] His brother, James, was a first-class cricketer.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Serle, Geoffrey. "Mackinnon, Donald (1859–1932)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
- ^ "Donald Mackinnon". Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- 1859 births
- 1932 deaths
- Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
- Vice-Presidents of the Board of Land and Works
- Attorneys-general of Victoria
- Solicitors-general of Victoria
- Australian barristers
- University of Melbourne alumni
- Alumni of New College, Oxford
- People educated at Geelong Grammar School
- Ministers of Railways (Victoria)
- Australian politician stubs