1977day.year
Donald Mackay
(1933 - 1977)
Australian businessman and activist
Australian businessman and activist
Australian tobacco businessman and anti-drug activist whose disappearance and murder drew national attention.
Donald Mackay was an Australian tobacco magnate and outspoken campaigner against illicit drug trade in his community.
Born in 1933, he expanded his family's tobacco business in Griffith, New South Wales, while advocating for stronger law enforcement.
Mackay led investigations into local drug syndicates, bringing public scrutiny to organized crime in regional Australia.
On July 15, 1977, he disappeared after attending a meeting, and his murder remains one of Australia's most notorious unsolved cases.
His death prompted national inquiries into corruption and led to significant reforms in Australian drug policy and police accountability.
1977
Donald Mackay