Thomas McKay (Australian politician)

Thomas Sidney McKay (1 October 1909 – 5 January 2004) was an Australian golfer, barrister and politician.

Early life

McKay was born in Mosman to journalist Claude Eric Ferguson McKay and Dorothy Hope née Sidney. He went to the Shore School before studying at the University of Sydney where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1931 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1934.[1] He was an amateur golfer and on 2 August 1934 he married Odette Anita Madeline Lefebvre,[2] who was also a golf champion, having won the NSW State championship in 1931 and 1933. They had two children before divorcing in 1946.[3] He married a second time to Peggy Burleigh on 28 October 1949,[4] and they had a daughter.[1]

Golfing career

He was a member of the successful NSW golf team in the Men's Interstate Teams Matches in 1932,[5] 1934,[6] and 1937,[7] and runners-up in 1935.[8] He won his first major golf title in October 1934, the Australian Amateur at Royal Sydney.[9] He won the New South Wales Amateur Championship in July 1936 at The Australian,[10] and in 1937 he was runner-up to professional George Naismith at the Australian Open at The Australian.[11] In 1938 McKay travelled to Britain as part of a four-man Australian team which included Harry Hattersley, Len Nettlefold and Mick Ryan. The team arrived in mid-May and played in The Amateur Championship at Troon. McKay won in the first two rounds,[12] before being defeated in the third.[13] The team played various matches in Britain, including at Stoke Poges where McKay hit a course record 66.[14] He qualified for the 1938 Open Championship at Royal St George's, but in the first round he hit a disastrous 14 on the 14th hole,[15] which put him out of contention for making the cut.[16]

Barrister and farmer

He was called to the bar in 1934,[17] and retired from championship golf at the end of 1938 to concentrate on his practice as a barrister.[18] From 1940 to 1945 he served in the Royal Australian Air Force, achieving the rank of wing commander. He was a prosecutor at the Rabaul war crimes trial in 1947. From 1950 to 1960 he was a dairy farmer around Berrima, and he served on Wingecarribee Shire Council from 1950 to 1953. He returned to legal practice in 1960 at Moss Vale.[1]

Political career

In 1966, he was elected as a Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.[19] He was re-elected in 1967,[20] and in 1969 was elected Chairman of Committees,[21][22] serving until 1978 when he did not seek re-election.[1]

Later life and death

McKay died at Exeter on 5 January 2004(2004-01-05) (aged 94).[1]

References
  1. "Mr Thomas Sidney McKay (1909-2004)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. "Golfers wed". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 August 1934. p. 4. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  3. "Law court reports: in divorce". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 December 1946. p. 9. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  4. "Two weddings yesterday". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 October 1949. p. 7. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  5. "Interstate matches". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 August 1932. p. 15. Retrieved 19 March 2021 – via Trove.
  6. "N.S.W. amateurs win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 October 1934. p. 18. Retrieved 19 March 2021 – via Trove.
  7. "Interstate golf matches". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 September 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 19 March 2021 – via Trove.
  8. "Interstate matches". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 August 1935. p. 19. Retrieved 19 March 2021 – via Trove.
  9. "Amateur Championship won by T S McKay". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1934. p. 20. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  10. "T S McKay: great putting wins state golf title". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 July 1936. p. 13. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  11. "G. Naismith, with 299, wins open for Victoria". The Sporting Globe. 11 September 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  12. "Amateur golf title: Hatterley and Ryan further success, McKay also wins". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 May 1938. p. 13. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  13. "McKay defeated". Western Argus. 7 June 1938. p. 35. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  14. "T. S. McKay's record". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 June 1938. p. 21. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  15. "British "Open"". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 July 1938. p. 13. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  16. "Australians fail". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 July 1938. p. 13. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  17. "Barrister now". The Sun. 25 October 1934. p. 25. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  18. "T. S. McKay's decision: retirement from big golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 November 1938. p. 15. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  19. "Declaration of successful candidate (94)". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 1 September 1966. p. 3607. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  20. "Candidates declared to be elected Members of the Legislative Council (137)". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 9 December 1966. p. 5067. Retrieved 2 December 2020 – via Trove.
  21. "Chairman of Committees". The Canberra Times. 13 March 1969. p. 8. Retrieved 31 July 2021 – via Trove.
  22. "Chairman of Committees" (pdf). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). New South Wales: Legislative Council. 12 March 1969. pp. 4406–4407.

 

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