Colin McKellar

The Honourable Colin McKellar
Senator for New South Wales
In office 22 November 1958 – 13 April 1970
Preceded by	James Ormonde
Succeeded by	Douglas Scott
Personal details
Born	29 May 1903 Gulgong, New South Wales
Died	13 April 1970 (aged 66)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Country Party
Spouse(s)	Florence Emily Smith
Occupation	Farmer, soldier

Gerald Colin McKellar (29 May 1903 – 13 April 1970) was an Australian politician and government minister.

McKellar was born in Gulgong, New South Wales and educated at Gilgandra and became a wheat and sheep farmer in the Gilgandra area. He married Florence Emily Smith in 1926. He commanded the local militia from 1936 and was appointed a major in the second Australian Imperial Force in September 1942. He was transferred to the reserves in April 1946. After World War II, he became an official in several farming organisations.^[1]

Political career

McKellar was elected as a Country Party Senator at the 1958 election. In December 1964, he was appointed Minister for Repatriation. He was obliged to implement Cabinet's decision to cut costs despite the strenuous opposition of the Returned Services League. During the Holt government, he also came under strong pressure over the "V.I.P. flights affair" as he represented the Minister for Air Peter Howson in the Senate. He agreed not to be appointed to the second Gorton Ministry in November 1969, on grounds of ill-health and five months later died of coronary heart disease, survived by his wife and three sons.^[1]

The Canberra suburb of McKellar was named after him in 1974.

Notes

1. Schneider, Russell (2000). "McKellar, Gerald Colin (1903–1970)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 16 January 2008.