Kenneth Mackay (Australian politician)

Major-General James Alexander Kenneth Mackay, (5 June 1859 – 16 November 1935), usually known as Kenneth Mackay, was an Australian soldier and politician.

Personal life
Born at Wallendenbeen station near Wallendbeen, the second son to pastoralist Alexander Mackay and Annie Mackenzie, he attended Camden College and Sydney Grammar School before farming at his father's property. His brother Donald Mackay went onto aerially survey areas of central Australia.

In 1890 Mackay married Mabel White from Victoria, a member of a squatter family.

Mackay died at Cootamundra in 1935, leaving a wife and two daughters (Annie Mabel, and Agnes Jean).

Military and political life
Loving horses, including being an amateur jockey, in 1885 he joined the military volunteers and raised the West Camden Light Horse; he was a commissioned as a captain in 1886.

In 1897 he raised the 1st Australian Volunteer Horse Regiment, and he was elevated lieutenant colonel in 1898. His military force was captured in two poems by Scottish-Australian poet Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963), in The real Mackays! (1898) and Your chance, Mackays! (1899).

In 1895 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Boorowa, serving until 1899, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council, where he would remain until 1934. Mackay served as Vice-President of the Executive Council from 1899 to 1900 and from 1903 to 1904.

From 1900 to 1901 he served in the Boer War commanding the 6th Imperial Bushmen's contingent of New South Wales, during which time he was mentioned in despatches. Mackay was awarded the South African War Medal with four clasps.

Promoted colonel and then brigadier in 1912, in that year he was also appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath and awarded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration. He drew up plans for the Australian Army Reserve in 1915, and became its first director-general in 1916. Considered too old, he was not appointed to active service overseas in World War I, but was camp commandant at Liverpool, Sydney. In 1920 he was promoted brigadier general and later retired as a major general; he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on his retirement.

Writings
Kenneth Mackay published three books of poetry, including Stirrup jingles of sporting and bush verse, and two novels from 1887 to 1908. His books included Outback (1893), The Yellow Wave (1895), and Across Papua.

In 1896 he published a play, To the West, a collaboration with Alfred Dampier.

His poems included the Sons of Britannia still we are (1898)