Preceded by New seat Name Frederick McDonald Party Australian Labor Party Political party Labor Role Australian Politician Succeeded by Thomas Ley | Alma mater University of Sydney Died 1925 Resigned November 14, 1925 Profession Teacher Education University of Sydney | |
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Nationality British subject (Australian) | ||
Frederick Albert McDonald (c. 1872 – ? April 1926) was an Australian politician and possible murder victim. Educated at public schools and at the University of Sydney, McDonald became a teacher and rose to become President of the Teachers Federation of New South Wales. In the 1922 federal election he contested the new seat of Barton for the Labor Party, defeating the Nationalist member for the abolished seat of Illawarra, Hector Lamond.
Disappearance
McDonald remained in parliament until 1925, when he was narrowly defeated by Nationalist candidate Thomas Ley. McDonald challenged the result in court, claiming that Ley had tried to bribe him. However, on 15 April 1926 McDonald vanished on his way to a meeting with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang, in which he was to have discussed a proposal to have the election result declared void. Despite an extensive search, neither McDonald's body nor his attache case were ever found.
Thomas Ley was later deemed insane after committing murder in England, and was committed to Broadmoor Hospital, where he died. It is believed Ley was also responsible for McDonald's disappearance, and the suspicious deaths of other of his political opponents.