Researching Hugh Macdonald

MacDonald is a member of the Canadian National archery team who has competed in the 2007 World Archery Championships, 2003 World Archery Championships, the 2001 World Archery Championships, and many other events.

At the 2007 World Championships in Leipzig Germany, MacDonald was a member of the Team Canada (along with Jason Lyon and Crispin Duenas) who won Canada's 3 Olympic spots by placing 8th in the Team Round. Canada has not had a full archery team in the Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta.

MacDonald did not compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He was defeated at the Canadian Olympic Trials by Jason Lyon, Crispin Duenas and JD Burns. MacDonald was the alternate if one of these members was not able to compete.

He was born at Duntulm in Scotland to Alexander Macdonald and Eliza Cartwright. He arrived in Australia in 1876 and worked on his uncle's station at Myall Creek. An early organiser of the Shearers Union, he was also elected an alderman at Coonamble several times. On 19 December 1898 he married Mary Davidson Hewitt, with whom he had a son. He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1894 as the Labour member for Coonamble. He transferred to Castlereagh in 1904, but died in Sydney in 1906.

Born in the Possilpark area of Glasgow to parents who both worked in bottling factories, MacDonald learned Gaelic at night school at a young age. He worked initially as an electrical engineer, then later as an advertising salesman, first for the Evening Citizen, then for the Glasgow Herald group.

MacDonald joined the Scottish National Party (SNP), and was involved with various activities in the party prior to the electoral successes of the 1960s, including co-authoring the early songbooks of the Bo'ness Rebels Literary Society.

He stood unsuccessfully in Glasgow Maryhill at the 1966 general election, taking 11.5% of the vote. He worked with George Leslie and Morris Blythman to develop campaign music at the 1967 Glasgow Pollok by-election, was a leading figure in Winnie Ewing's victory in 1967 Hamilton by-election, and his house was used as a base for the party's successful campaign in the 1973 Glasgow Govan by-election. He was appointed as a vice-chairman of the party in 1969, sharing responsibility for publicity with Michael Grieve. MacDonald's particular focus was the media, but the division of labour did not work well, and he stood down in 1972.

MacDonald next moved to Iran to work in advertising for the Kayhan Newspaper Group, leaving only on the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution. He returned to Glasgow to work for the Rex Stewart agency, and unsuccessfully attempted to sue the Ayatollah Khomeini for the return of possessions which he had left on fleeing Iran.

Ill health compelled MacDonald to take early retirement, and he devoted his remaining years to freemasonry and in particular its Knights Templar group.