Information on Charles Mackay

Charles Mackay, the former Mayor of Whanganui, New Zealand, from 1906 to 1920, had a tenure marked by significant achievements and a scandalous downfall. His story, interwoven with the early 20th-century attitudes towards homosexuality, is both tragic and historically significant.

Mackay, born in Nelson, was a bright individual, having earned a Bachelor of Arts at 19 and a Bachelor of Laws six years later. At 30, he was elected to the Wanganui Borough Council and became Mayor a year later, a position he held until his life dramatically changed in 1920.

The turning point came when Mackay, then 45 and married with two children, met 24-year-old poet Walter D'Arcy Cresswell. Cresswell, from a prominent Canterbury family and a World War I veteran, was introduced to Mackay by a cousin, leading to a series of events that would culminate in a dramatic confrontation. Their acquaintance began with dinner invitations and a private visit to the Sarjeant Art Gallery, a project Mackay had championed.

The incident that led to Mackay's downfall occurred on May 15, 1920. After their visit to the gallery, Mackay showed Cresswell a collection of female nude photographs in his office. What transpired next is unclear, but Cresswell demanded Mackay's resignation as Mayor, threatening to expose him as a "pervert" otherwise. The next morning, Mackay, under immense pressure, agreed to write a letter of resignation to be held for a month. However, as they were leaving the office, Mackay shot Cresswell in the chest and attempted to stage the scene as a suicide.

Remarkably, Cresswell survived, the bullet lodged in his lung for 12 years. He gave a statement to the police, alleging he had discovered a "disgusting feature" of Mackay's character. Part of his police statement reads, "When we left the Art Gallery we went to Mr MacKay’s office in Ridgway Street and while there I discovered a certain disgusting feature in Mr MacKay’s character, I purposely encouraged him to display his qualities in his nature which I expected, he also showed me several photographs of nude women. On making that discovery I told him that I had led him on, on purpose to make sure of his dirty intentions, and I told him also amongst a lot of other candid things that he must resign the Mayorality [sic] at once."

Mackay, who initially claimed the shooting was accidental, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. He served seven years, during which he was declared bankrupt and divorced by his wife. His name was removed from public honors, including the Sarjeant Gallery's foundation stone, only to be reinstated in 1985.

Mackay's story is significant not only for its dramatic elements but also for what it reveals about the social and cultural attitudes towards homosexuality in early 20th-century New Zealand. Homosexuality was condemned, and men often had to navigate a clandestine network of sexual encounters. Public places like urinals in Whanganui, where men sought sex with other men, were testament to this hidden world of homosexual liaisons.

After his release, Mackay moved to England, where he resumed his career as a journalist. His life came to an abrupt end in 1929 when he was accidentally shot dead by a Berlin policeman during a riot coverage.