Background
Mackay was born in Brighton, South Australia and educated at Adelaide Technical High School.
Mackay was born in Brighton, South Australia and educated at Adelaide Technical High School.
University of Edinburgh.
During World World War II he served in the Royal Australian Navy. After the war he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of Melbourne. He obtained a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.
In September 1956 he became the first Australian born minister at Sydney"s Scots Church.
He became the foundation Master of Basser College at the University of New South Wales in 1959. He was also one of the first prominent churchmen in Australia to pursue an active career on television
He monitored the Burning Question program on Channel 7 from 1957 until 1961 before moving to the American Broadcasting Company for the current affairs program Open Hearing. Mackay was elected as the Liberal Party member for the House of Representatives seat of Evans from the 1963 election.
He was Minister for the Navy from March 1971 until his defeat by Allan Mulder at the December 1972 election.
He was assistant minister of the Scots Church, Melbourne, 1975-1976 and 1982-1984.
Mackay was the founding president of the Association of Former Members of the Parliament of Australia, and he remained an executive member of the association until his death.