Donald Mackay
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Donald Mackay, born in Griffith and raised in Sydney, was an Australian politician from 1973 to 1976, and an anti-drugs campaigner. Mackay and his family ran a local furniture business called Mackay's Furniture.
On July 15, 1977, Donald Mackay mysteriously disappeared from a hotel car park and has never been found. The disappearance given his strong anti-drug campaigning efforts shocked the nation.
His wife Barbara was an active member of the Uniting Church in Griffith and directed a great number of musicals for young children in Griffith including "Spindles and the Lamb" and "It's cool in the Furnace." The Mackay family still has a place in Griffith. Donald Mackay's son Paul runs the family furniture store.
[edit] Liberal Party of Australia politician
In 1972, Mackay stood as a Liberal Party candidate against Al Grassby, who in 1980 was charged with criminal defamation when it was alleged that he had asked New South Wales state politician, Michael Maher, to read in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly a document that imputed Mackay's wife Barbara and her family solicitor were responsible for Mackay's disappearance. Grassby maintained his innocence and fought a 12-year battle in the courts before he was eventually acquitted on appeal in August 1992 and was awarded AUD$180,000 in costs.
[edit] Missing person
Concerned about the growing drug trade in his local area, and learning of a large crop of marijuana in nearby Coleambally, New South Wales, Mackay informed Sydney based police of the information he had obtained regarding the crop, which resulted in several arrests, and four men of Italian descent being convicted on Mackay's information.
Unfortunately for Mackay, at the trial of the men arrested, his name was read out during evidence, identifying him as the whistleblower. An attempt was made to lure Mackay to Jerilderie, New South Wales by an unidentified man who wished to make a large order of furniture from Mackay's family business. Mackay, busy with other matters at the time of the planned meeting, sent an employee who travelled to Jerilderie to find nobody about. This is believed to have been an assassination attempt.
On July 15, 1977, Mackay disappeared from a hotel car park after having drinks with friends and has never been found. At the scene of Mackay's disappearance, his locked van contained blood stains, Mackay's car keys and three used .22 shotgun shell casings.
Many believed Robert Trimbole was responsible for the contract style killing of Mackay. His death led to the Woodward Royal Commission into the illegal drug trade in New South Wales.
