For 50 years the name Charles Mackay was all but forbidden in Whanganui. The former mayor's name was chiselled off public buildings, ripped off street signs and deliberately excluded from official histories. His official portrait was taken down and destroyed.
The reason? In 1920 Charles Mackay shot and nearly killed D'Arcy Cresswell, a 24-year-old returned soldier who had been threatening to out Mackay as homosexual.
Mugshot of Charles Mackay after his conviction for attempted murder Photo: Archives New Zealand
Over the last few decades people have tried to drag Mackay's story back into the spotlight. In the 1980s, LGBTQ+ activists successfully campaigned to have his name re-inscribed on the foundation stone of the Sarjeant Gallery and in 2022 historian and author Paul Diamond released a long awaited book digging into Mackay's story.
Downfall: the Destruction of Charles Mackay by Paul Diamond Photo: Supplied/ Massey University Press
But Mackay's story still has many unanswered questions.
Was D'Arcy Cresswell acting alone when he tried to blackmail the mayor? Was he solely motivated by homophobia, or was there something more complicated going on? In this two part episode of Black Sheep, host William Ray investigates the story of the former Mayor.
We look at Mackay's upbringing, and his meteoric rise to the mayoralty, which coincided with a meteoric rise for the town of Whanganui itself.
We investigate attitudes towards homosexuality in early 20th century New Zealand, and how Charles Mackay may have understood his attraction to other men.
And, we discuss the multiple scandals leading up to the Mayors arrest, including a catastrophic concert for a member of the royal family
Further reading:
Downfall: The destruction of Charles Mackay by Paul Diamond
Mates and Lovers: A History of Gay NZ by Professor Chris Brickell
