Mac Holten

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Mac Holten

| honorific-suffix = CMG

| image = MacHolten1969.jpg

| office = Minister for Repatriation

| primeminister = John Gorton
William McMahon

| predecessor = Colin McKellar

| successor = Reg Bishop

| term_start = 12 November 1969

| term_end = 5 December 1972

| constituency_MP2 = Indi

| parliament2 = Australian

| predecessor2 = William Bostock

| successor2 = Ewen Cameron

| term_start2 = 22 November 1958

| term_end2 = 10 December 1977

| birth_name = Rendle McNeilage Holten

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1922|3|29}}

| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1996|10|12|1922|3|29}}

| death_place =

| spouse =

| party = Country

| relations =

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Footballer, Farmer

| profession =

| religion =

| signature =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Rendle McNeilage "Mac" Holten CMG (29 March 1922 – 12 October 1996) was an Australian politician and sportsman. He was a member of the Country Party and represented the Division of Indi in the House of Representatives from 1958 to 1977. He served as Minister for Repatriation from 1969 to 1972 in the Gorton and McMahon governments. Before entering politics, he played Australian rules football for the Collingwood Football Club.

Early life and sporting career

File:MacHolten.jpg

Holten was born in Melbourne and educated at Scotch College, Melbourne.{{Cite web

|last = Howard

|first = John

|authorlink = John Howard

|title = Condolences: Holten, Hon. Rendle McNeilage, CMG

|work = Hansard

|publisher = Parliament of Australia

|date = 17 October 1996

|url = http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F1996-10-17%2F0001%22

|accessdate = 17 January 2008

}} He left school at 16 to sell life insurance, but with the outbreak of World War II, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940 as a flying instructor and test pilot. He retired in 1946 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant and became a grocer. He kicked 83 goals in 82 games for Collingwood Football Club, where he played in three losing Preliminary Finals{{AustralianFootball|ref=mac%2Bholten/6791}} and was also Vice-Captain of the Melbourne Cricket Club at one time.

In January 1949, he married Shirley de Raven{{cite web |title=1949 - Football Coach At Wangaratta |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188078525 |publisher=Shepparton Advertiser |access-date=3 August 2024 |page=6 |date=14 January 1949}} and moved to Wangaratta as captain-coach of the Wangaratta Football Club and led them to four consecutive Ovens & Murray Football League premierships from 1949 to 1952.{{cite web |title=O&MFNL Grand Finals |url=https://omfnl.com.au/grand-finals/ |website=O&MFNL |access-date=30 July 2024}}

Holten played 54 first eleven matches for the Melbourne Cricket Club in the Melbourne District Cricket Association between 1943 and 1949{{cite web |title=Victorian Premier Cricket Stats |url=https://www.vicpremiercricket.com.au/clubs/mens-records-awards |website=Cricket Victoria |access-date=3 August 2024}} and continued playing cricket in Wangaratta, representing the Victorian Country Cricket League against England.

Holten was inducted into the Ovens & Murray Football League Hall of Fame in 2006{{cite web |title=2006 - O&MFNL - Hall of Fame |url=https://omfnl.com.au/hall_of_fame/mac-holten/ |website=O&MFNL |access-date=30 July 2024}} for his outstanding contribution to football both on and off the field.{{Cite web

|last = McGauran

|first = Peter

|authorlink = Peter McGauran

|title = Condolences: Holten, Hon. Rendle McNeilage, CMG

|work = Hansard

|publisher = Parliament of Australia

|date = 17 October 1996

|url = http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F1996-10-17%2F0004%22

|accessdate = 17 January 2008

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524195342/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=47914&TABLE=HANSARDR

|archivedate = 24 May 2011

|df = dmy-all

}}

Politics

Holten was elected as the Country Party member for Indi in the Australian House of Representatives from the 1958 election until his defeat by the Liberal candidate at the 1977 election. He was the Minister for Repatriation from November 1969 to the McMahon government's defeat at the 1972 election. As minister, he introduced bills, the Native Members of the Forces Benefits Bill 1972 and the Repatriation (Torres Strait Islanders) Bill 1972, to abolish discrimination in the level of benefits for indigenous Australians who had served in World War II.{{Cite web

|last = Scott

|first = Bruce

|authorlink = Bruce Scott (Australian politician)

|title = Condolences: Holten, Hon. Rendle McNeilage, CMG

|work = Hansard

|publisher = Parliament of Australia

|date = 17 October 1996

|url = http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=47918&TABLE=HANSARDR

|accessdate = 17 January 2008

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524195349/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=47918&TABLE=HANSARDR

|archivedate = 24 May 2011

|df = dmy-all

}}{{Cite web

|last = Beazley

|first = Kim

|authorlink = Kim Beazley

|title = Condolences: Holten, Hon. Rendle McNeilage, CMG

|work = Hansard

|publisher = Parliament of Australia

|date = 17 October 1996

|url = http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=47906&TABLE=HANSARDR

|accessdate = 17 January 2008

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524195610/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=47906&TABLE=HANSARDR

|archivedate = 24 May 2011

|df = dmy-all

}}

Later life

Holten was the Administrator of Christmas Island from 1980 to 1982. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his parliamentary and community service in 1980. He was survived by his wife, Shirley, and three daughters.{{Cite web

|last = Fischer

|first = Tim

|authorlink = Tim Fischer

|title = Condolences: Holten, Hon. Rendle McNeilage, CMG

|work = Hansard

|publisher = Parliament of Australia

|date = 17 October 1996

|url = http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=47910&TABLE=HANSARDR

|accessdate = 17 January 2008

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524195358/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=47910&TABLE=HANSARDR

|archivedate = 24 May 2011

|df = dmy-all

}}

Notes

External links

{{AFL Tables|ref=M/Mac_Holten.html}}
[https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/mac-holten/index.html/ Mac Holten profile] via Collingwood Forever
[https://omfnl.com.au/hall_of_fame/mac-holten/ Mac Holten - O&MFNL Hall of Fame] Via Ovens & Murray FNL