Ken McCaw

{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = <small>The Honourable</small> | name = Sir Ken McCaw | honorific_suffix = <small>QC</small> | image = |order = 40th Attorney-General of New South Wales |term_start = 23 May 1965 |term_end = 3 January 1975 |premier = Sir Robert Askin |predecessor = Reg Downing |successor = John Maddison |constituency_MP2 = Lane Cove |parliament2 = New South Wales |term_start2 = 3 May 1947 |term_end2 = 3 January 1975 |predecessor2 = Henry Woodward |successor2 = John Dowd |birth_name = Kenneth Malcolm McCaw |birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1907|10|8}} |birth_place = Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia |death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1989|9|13|1907|10|8}} |death_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |party = Liberal Party}}

'''Sir Kenneth Malcolm McCaw''', QC (8 October 1907 – 13 September 1989), an Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Lane Cove for the Liberal Party from 1947 until his retirement from political office in 1975. McCaw served as Attorney General of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975.

==Early years and background==

McCaw was born in Chatswood, New South Wales. he was the son of a teamster and was educated in country schools. He initially worked as a farm hand but then moved to Sydney, was employed as a clerk and continued to study at night. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1934 and was active in the Law Society of New South Wales and community groups in the Lane Cove district.<ref name=nswpl/>

==Political career== McCaw entered the New South Wales parliament at the 1947 election as the Liberal member for Lane Cove; defeating the sitting Labor member Henry Woodward. He retained the seat at the next nine elections and retired in 1975.

With the election of the coalition government of Robert Askin at the 1965 election, McCaw was appointed Attorney-General. He held this position until his retirement.<ref name=nswpl>{{Cite NSW Parliament |name=Sir Kenneth Malcolm McCaw (1907-1989) |former=Yes |access-date=1 May 2019 |id=1687}}</ref> In 1967 he recommended to Cabinet that women be called for jury service<ref>{{Cite news|date=11 October 1967|title=Women to be called for jury service|work=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> although the 1968 legislation did not commence operation until 1974 and then only in part of NSW.

During his term in office, he was appointed Queen's Counsel, in 1972.

==Career after politics==

On retirement from politics, McCaw was awarded a Knight Bachelor, which does not carry post-nominal letters.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1082932 |title=McCaw, Kennenth Malcolm |work=It's an Honour |date=1 January 1975 |accessdate=16 August 2011 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia }}</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}   {{s-start}} {{s-par|au-nsw-la}} {{succession box | title=Member for Lane Cove | before=Henry Woodward | after=John Dowd | years=1947 – 1975}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef |before= Reg Downing }} {{s-ttl |title= Attorney General of New South Wales|years = 1965{{spaced ndash}}1975 }} {{s-aft|after= John Maddison}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mccaw, Ken}} Category:1907 births Category:1989 deaths Category:Australian King's Counsel Category:Australian solicitors Category:Attorneys-general of New South Wales Category:Australian Knights Bachelor Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales Category:20th-century Australian lawyers Category:20th-century Australian politicians Category:People from Chatswood, New South Wales