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Member for Corinella (Victoria) 1901-1906 |
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Born in Ballynure, Antrim, Ireland, Jim McCay migrated with his parents to Victoria in 1865 as an infant. A brilliant student, McCay was dux of Scotch College, Melbourne, in 1880, and obtained a masters degree in Mathematics from the University of Melbourne, where he also qualified as a lawyer. McCay bought Castlemaine Grammar School in 1885, and was Principal there for a number of years. He was the member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Castlemaine 1895-99.
In 1901 McCay was elected as a Protectionist to represent the seat of Corinella in the House of Representatives. As Minister for Defence 1904-05 in the Reid-McLean government, he was responsible for a number of important decisions regarding the establishment of the Australian defence forces. In 1906 the seat of Corinella was eliminated in a redistribution of electorates, and McCay stood unsuccessfully for the seat of Corio (Victoria). He failed in an attempt to gain election to the Senate in 1910.
McCay had a distinguished military career. Commissioned in the 4th Battalion, Victorian Rifles in 1886, and a Lieutenant Colonel by 1900, McCay commanded the newly-created Australian Intelligence Corps 1907-13. He led the 2nd Infantry Brigade, Australian Infantry Force at the Gallipoli landing, and the 5th Division in France in 1916, then took charge of Australian base depots in England 1917-18. Lieutenant General Sir Brudenell White described McCay as “one of the greatest soldiers that ever served Australia … greater even than Monash”. McCay was knighted in 1918 (KCMG) and 1919 (KBE).
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