P000597 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn updated 2024-10-16 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000597b.htm person Mackay Donald George CBE AACR2 29 June 1870 17 September 1958 Place of Birth Yass, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Explorer Philanthropist Donald Mackay was acknowledged (in his later years) as the last Australian explorer. He inherited considerable financial resources on the death of his father in 1890, and put this to good use in financing and participating in expeditions in the Northern Territory and Central Australia. In 1926 and 1928 his first Australian explorations were to the Petermann Ranges and Arnhem Land, both led by surgeon and anthropologist Herbert Basedow. These were notable for the good relations they established with the local Indigenous people. Between 1930 and 1937 Mackay financed and supervised four aerial surveys of remote areas of Central Australia. This resulted in more useful maps than had previously existed, and added considerably to existing knowledge of these areas. The newly-discovered Lake Mackay was named in his honour. Naturalist and broadcaster P. Crosbie Morrison participated in the first of these surveys. Mackay attracted some controversy because of his remarks about harsh treatment meted put to Indigenous people. 1899 1900 Life event - Cycled round Australia (17,700 km in 240 days) 1926 1926 Career event - Financed and participated in expedition to Petermann Ranges, Northern Territory 1928 1928 Career event - Financed and participated in expedition to Arnhem Land, Northern Territory 1930 1937 Career event - Supervised four aerial surveys of Central Australia 1934 1934 Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) 1937 1937 Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) 1980 1980 Career event - Led expedition to explore headwaters of Purari River, Papua New Guinea Morrison, Philip Crosbie (1900 - 1958)

Participated in the 1930 aerial survey of Central Australia supervised by Donald Mackay

 Basedow, Herbert (1881 - 1933)

Basedow led the expeditions financed by Mackay to the Petermann Ranges, Northern Territory in 1926 and Arnhem land in 1928

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Mackay, Donald (1870-1958)

Trove

 'Mackay, Donald George', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Mackay, Donald George Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book Section: Mackay, Donald George (1870-1958), explorer Carment, David Mackay, Donald George (1870-1958), explorer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1986 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 10: 1891 - 1939 Lat-Ner Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle 289-290 Book: Last of the Australian explorers: the story of Donald Mackay Clune, Frank Last of the Australian explorers: the story of Donald Mackay Sydney Angus and Robertson 1942 Donald George Mackay - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Donald George Mackay - Records 1900 - 1940 Copies of all maps and reports resulting from his expeditions to Central and Northern Australia 1926-37; various other personal records.