- John McDougall (Australian politician)
John Keith "J.K." McDougall (
10 August 1867 –11 April 1957 ) was anAustralia n politician, poet and Labor activist.Early life
McDougall was born at
Learmonth, Victoria to farmer Donald McDougall and Margaret, nee Keith. He attended Rossbridge Common School but left school at the age of 13 to assist on the family farm. His education continued informally, however, and began to develop an interest in politics, having rejected thePresbyterian ministry.Politics
McDougall joined the Ararat branch of the Political Labor Council in 1903, becoming president in 1904. He stood twice for Ararat Shire Council, succeeding in 1904. In 1906 he was elected to the
Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Wannon after a successful campaign targeting the anti-union leanings of the Anti-Socialist sitting member, Arthur Robinson. He rarely spoke in Parliament, but did considerable work for his constituency. McDougall also became associated withKing O'Malley and his group of Labor members. McDougall was defeated in Wannon in 1913, largely due to a general swing against Labor and a redistribution, and returned to his farm, running unsuccessfully for Flinders in 1914 and Grampians in 1915 and 1917.Later life
McDougall was a prolific contributor to Labor press, denouncing
capitalism as well as those Labor members of whom he disapproved, includingAndrew Fisher ,Chris Watson ,Ted Theodore ,James Scullin ,Billy Hughes andJoseph Lyons . Many of these contributions were submitted in verse; five books of McDougall's verse were published.McDougall's poem "The White Man's Burden", which denounced
war , was used by the Nationalist Party in the 1919 election as evidence of Labor's contempt for servicemen. Six returned servicemen, stirred by this rhetoric, lured McDougall from his home and left him in an Ararat street having been tarred and feathered.On
3 March 1908 at Richmond, McDougall had married Margaret Ellen McGennisken, who died in 1952. McDougall retired subsequently to write his memoirs, dying at Ararat on11 April 1957 , survived by two sons and a daughter.References
*Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=King |first=Terry |authorlink=|year=1986|id=A100253b.htm|title= McDougall, John Keith (1867 - 1957) | accessdate=2008-03-16
Persondata
NAME=McDougall, John Keith
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=McDougall, J.K.
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australia n politician and poet
DATE OF BIRTH=10 August 1867
PLACE OF BIRTH=Learmonth, Victoria
DATE OF DEATH=11 April 1957
PLACE OF DEATH=Ararat, Victoria
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