Davis McCaughey: A Life

Sarah Martin's biography of Davis McCaughey follows his life from its wealthy commercial beginnings in Belfast, through his university career to his commitment to the Church as a Presbyterian Minister. His marriage to Jean Henderson, in the last year of her medical degree, was a defining moment that gave him the confidence to follow an individual path throughout his life. With five children in tow, and at the age of 39, he set out to forge a new life in Australia.

A fascinating and enigmatic man, Davis McCaughey was equally at home in the theological world and secular world of Melbourne in the 1950s to the 1990s. As Master of Ormond College for twenty years, and as Governor of Victoria for four, McCaughey played a ground-breaking role in Australian public life. Martin's compelling biography explores his character and achievements and his transcendence from deeply conservative roots in Belfast to championing radical student politics in Australia. A pivotal figure in the creation of the Uniting Church in Australia, he was regarded by many, including Manning Clark, as one of the greatest public speakers of his era.