Pat Mackie

Pat Mackie, miner and unionist, led the 1964 Mt Isa Mines Strike in Mt Isa, Queensland, Australia. Mackie's role in the dispute was highlighted in the 2007 musical "Red Cap".

The dispute involved numerous issues of pay and conditions and lasted an unprecedented 32 weeks. Mackie continued to lead the dispute despite being expelled from the Australian Workers Union (AWU). After the dispute, Mackie was banned from Mt Isa Mines, and the government unsuccessfully tried to have him deported back to New Zealand.

The following information was contained in the "Red Cap" musical as performed at the La Boite Theatre company in Brisbane, Queensland in 2007:

Pat Mackie's real name is Eugene Murphy. The name "Mackie" came from a misprint on Pat's payslips when he first began work with Mt Isa Mines. Despite attempting to have the mistake corrected, Mt Isa Mines kept producing cheques and payslips in the name of "Mackie". Ultimately, Pat adopted the name. "Mackie" is the surname of several Australian families, although it is relatively uncommon.

Pat Mackie became an iconic figure in Australia during the Mt Isa Mines dispute, and was easily identified by a red baseball cap that he wore at the time.

Pat Mackie was the subject of intense media speculation at the time of the dispute. As Pat wore a baseball cap of the Boston Red Sox and spoke with an apparent American accent, he was often portrayed in the media as an "American gangster". This was untrue, as Pat was in fact from New Zealand.

Pat's red cap and involvement in the Mt Isa Mines dispute resulted in the media portraying him as communist. Some columns at the time accused him of deliberately weakening Australia to help an invasion by communist China. There was no truth to this statement.

Pat's criminal record was a point of constant reference during the Mt Isa Mines dispute. Although Pat did have a criminal record in several countries, the offences were relatively minor and were very old convictions by the time of the Mt Isa dispute.

Pat Mackie successfully sued a newspaper owned by Australia media mogul Frank Packer in the early 1970s for defamation. Pat Mackie won damages totalling $30 000. $10 000 of this total sum was awarded for misrepresentation of Pat Mackie's criminal record, while $20 000 was awarded for misrepresentation of Pat Mackie's involvement in the Mt Isa Mines Dispute.

When the Mt Isa Mines dispute began, Pat Mackie was a member of the Australian Workers Union (AWU). However Pat, supported by many of the miners of Mt Isa Mines, wanted to enter into an enterprise bargain with Mt Isa Mines. The AWU policy at the time was for arbitration before the Industrial Relations Commission. The disagreement between Pat and the AWU resulted in him being expelled from the AWU which allowed Mt Isa Mines to terminate his employment. The conflict was prolonged by the insistence of strikers that Pat Mackie be reinstated, a demand that was never met.

Pat Mackie's story inspired a [http://www.qmf.org.au Queensland Music Festival] musical production titled [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22153963-5013570,00.html Red Cap] , which premiered at the Mount Isa Civic Centre on July 11, 2007.

Pat Mackie is currently residing in a retirement home in New South Wales.

References

* P. Mackie, E. Vassilieff. MOUNT ISA - THE STORY OF A DISPUTE Hudson Publishing 1989