[[sarah-martin-rev]]Davis McCaughey was a rare public figure, one that was almost universally admired, respected and indeed loved. Born to a middle-class Belfast family, he began his career as a theologian and in 1953 accepted the position of Professor of New Testament Studies at the Presbyterian Theological Hall at Ormond College.

The young Irish academic and his wife Jean warmed to life in Australia and in 1959 McCaughey accepted the role of Master of Ormond College, a position he held until his retirement in 1979.

In his earlier role and as Master, McCaughey took a modernising approach to both the church and the college. He was a pervasive and positive influence in the creation of the Uniting Church and as Master took interest in affecting tertiary education both in society as a whole and at Ormond, pushing for reforms at Ormond that led to the liberalising the staid college environment. He was not immune to the political turmoil of the sixties and seventies and took a principled stand of public opposition to the Vietnam War and later publicly endorsed Whitlam’s platform and election.

McCaughey was not overtly political as such, he just believed in taking positions that he believed were right and just. When the Cain ALP government took power in Victoria, there was antipathy between Cain and the incumbent governor, a retired military man, Sir Brian Murray. When it was discovered that Murray had accepted an inappropriate gift and resigned, Cain asked McCaughey to take on the role.

McCaughey brought his energy and modernising influence to the governor’s role. McCaughey was above all a decent man and this biography does him justice and is at the same the story Victoria and Australia’s transition to a modern society.

[[mark-rubbo]] Mark Rubbo