Major-General Iven Mackay, C.M.G

Abstract

THE mantle of General Monash, the Australian civil engineer who proved to be the greatest military leader of the Australian Imperial Forces during the War of 1914–18, has fallen on another man of science, Major-General Iven Mackay, who is in command of the A.I.F. now operating in Libya which recently took a leading part in the successful attack on Bardia. Mackay was assistant lecturer and demonstrator in physics in the University of Sydney in 1910, where he had obtained his ‘blue’ for rowing and for football; he combined his aptitude for sport with his scientific training by acting as sports as well as science master in the Sydney Church of England Grammar School during 1905–10. When he joined the staff of the Physics Department of the University of Sydney he also became a sports coach. Later he undertook the duties of student adviser. He worked in the Cavendish Laboratory during 1919. In 1933, he became head master of Cranbrook School, Sydney, and held that position until 1940. During his early career at the University thirty-six years ago he, together with several others, organized the Sydney University Scouts, which eventually formed the nucleus of the New South Wales sector of the A.I.F. Mackay was born on April 7, 1882, the son of a Scottish father and a Canadian mother.