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Former Member Details

Mr Donald MACDONELL (1862 - 1911)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 01/01/1862
Place of Birth: Stuart Mill near St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia
Date of Death: 26/10/1911
Place of Death: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member for Cobar 23 Sep 1911 26 Oct 1911 1 month 4 days
Canterbury Park Racecourse Company Limited Enabling Bill Committee No.7 24 Nov 1910 08 Dec 1910 15 days
Colonial Secretary 21 Oct 1910 26 Oct 1911 1 year 6 days
Minister of Agriculture 21 Oct 1910 10 Sep 1911 10 months 21 days
Member for Cobar 23 Sep 1910 12 Sep 1911 11 months 21 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 28 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 24 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 28 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 24 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 21 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 2 months
Refreshment Committee No.5 14 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 4 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 13 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 5 days
Claims of Andrew Rodgers against the Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners Committee No.8 29 Sep 1908 18 Dec 1908 2 months 20 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 05 Aug 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 15 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 23 Jul 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 27 days
Refreshment Committee No.4 13 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 30 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 12 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 1 month
Refreshment Committee No.5 24 Oct 1907 20 Dec 1907 1 month 27 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 22 Oct 1907 15 Nov 1907 25 days
Member for Cobar 30 Aug 1907 14 Sep 1910 3 years 16 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 04 Jul 1907 12 Jul 1907 9 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 05 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 14 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 14 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 26 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 24 Aug 1904 01 Dec 1904 3 months 8 days
Member for Cobar 06 Aug 1904 19 Aug 1907 3 years 14 days
Alleged Evasion of the Arbitration Act Committee No.13 04 Sep 1903 23 Sep 1903 20 days Chairman
Member for Cobar 22 Jun 1901 16 Jul 1904 3 years 25 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 22 Jun 1901 26 Oct 1911 10 years 4 months 5 days
Political Party Activity
Independent. Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1894, labor delegate to 1898 conference, to federal conference in 1902, 1905, member of central executive from 1901 until 1910.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Shearer and union secretary. Grew up on father's farm, accompanying him shearing; moved to New South Wales c.1886; early recruit to Shearers' Union and thereafter an active organiser, playing a leading part in the 1890 strike, Queensland in 1891 strike; helped to bring about the amalgamated union of shearers and shedhands and to draft rule for the Australian Workers' Union in 1894; secretary of the Bourke branch of the Shearers' Union in 1894, remained the secretary of Bourke branch until appointed as the general secretary of Australian Workers' Union from 1900 until 1911; arranged for the Bourke branch to publish 'The Worker' from 1897 until 1900; played the violin.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Alexander Macdonell, farmer and shearer, Scottish migrant. Unmarried. Roman Catholic. Buried Stuart Mill.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.