Gregor McGregor

Gregor McGregor (18 October 1848 – 13 August 1914) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for South Australia from 1901 until his death in 1914, representing the Labor Party. He was the party's inaugural Senate leader, and served three terms as Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Early life McGregor was born on 18 October 1848 in Kilmun, Argyll, Scotland. He was the son of Jane and Malcolm McGregor. His father was a gardener, and in 1854 the family moved to County Tyrone, Ireland, where he became the chief gardener to Sir Gerald Aylmer (one of the Aylmer baronets). McGregor left school at a young age to join his father. He later spent two years working as an agricultural labourer in England, and then returned to Scotland to work in the Glasgow shipyards.

In 1877, McGregor immigrated to South Australia. He initially worked as an agricultural labourer, and for a period he was employed by Richard Baker, one of his future Senate colleagues. In the Legislative Council, McGregor advocated for new workers' rights, but was also known for his opposition to South Australian involvement in the Boer War and as "a fervent protectionist who espoused the sanctity of White Australia". McGregor was Leader of the Government in the Senate and Vice-President of the Executive Council in each of the first three Labor governments – the short-lived Watson government of 1904 and Andrew Fisher's first two governments (1908 to 1909 and 1910 to 1913). As Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1913 to 1914, McGregor had an unusual level of influence due to his party holding a majority in the Senate.