Mackie, Margaret Davidson

Margaret Mackie was the daughter of Professor Alexander Mackie, Professor of Education at the University of Sydney (1910 - 1939), and Principal of Sydney Teachers College (1906 - 1939), and Annie Mackie nee Duncan, a teacher at For Street Girls High School prior to her marriage. Margaret was educated at Abbotsleigh Girls School and studied for a BA (1936) and Diploma of Education (1940) at the University of Sydney as well as undertaking a MA at Somerville College, Oxford. graduating in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (1939). On return to Sydney, she taught in serveral NSW public schools before her appointment to the Armidale Teachers' College as a lecturer from 1951 to 1974. She also worked with the University of New England in their external studies department. After her retirement from the Teachers' College she continued to teach, running philosophy classes for children. She received an OAM in 1984.

She published a number of textbooks about teaching including Educative Teaching (1968) and The Beginning Teacher (1973). Is there a difference between thinking, believing and knowing?: Memoirs of Margaret Mackie was published in 2006, compiled and edited by Catherine Ovenden (Kardoorair Press, Armidale).

An obituary of Margaret Mackie is available at the Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/teacher-inspired-generations-20100112-m4qk.html

Records of Margaret Mackie form part of the Personal archives of Alexander Mackie (1876-1955), Professor of Education, and his family (P169). Series 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 contain correspondence, references and reports, University notes and articles, and miscellaneous records. Additional record transfers were received in 1999 and the early 2000s, although not all these records have been arranged for access.