Australasian Patron Saint of Confectioners, Entrepreneurs, Sponsorships, Tax Planning, Croquet and Aviation:

     MacPherson Robertson, was born in 1860, at Ballarat, Victoria. This was up the road from the Eureka Stockade - the Site of the recent Miners' Rebellion against Regimented Authority.

      His Father, a carpenter, was wild with the idea of creating Wealth - in a hurry - so had come to find his own "Welcome Nugget".

      When gold lost it's steam the Father, David, talked Mother an Irish lady, Margaret (Browne) into going to Rockhampton Qld. to build a new hospital - as the Main Contractor.

      However, with the money in the pocket, Dad departed for Fiji on a wild urge. This left Mother to return to Leith, in Scotland, with four small children - and one on the way.

     It fell to MacPherson - "Mac" a Scot/Irish Australian - to go to work to support the family at age 9. He was up at 3am to pick up and deliver newspapers over ten miles and by 6am he was lathering faces at a barber shop until 9am. Then school until 3pm and back to lathering faces until 9pm.

      Unfortunately, this work load did not bring in sufficient income, so Mac had to give up schooling to work full time.

     After ten separate jobs he finally took on an apprenticeship in a confectionery factory. The grounding and knowledge he acquired ultimately led to the founding of the largest confectionery empire in the Southern Hemisphere.

      It was not too difficult for Mac to find work. But, with the long hours, he had little in the way of an easy life. Never the less he still had time for fun.

      In time, the Father desired the family to return to Australian. Mac made up his mind to 'Succeed in Life' and be responsible for his entire family.

      On arrival in Australia he apprenticed himself to a confectioner in Fitzroy, Melbourne, and began his long life journey. This which would see him as the most successful entrepreneur - and the highest taxed person - in Australia.

      At age 19, a skilled confectionery craftsman, he set up a small factory in his Mother's bathroom with a "nail keg for a stove, a tin cup for a kettle and some sugar" (even now on display somewhere)

      His total Capital was about 2 Pounds - probably about $200 in today's money. He made the confections on Mondays to Thursdays and sold them around Melbourne on Fridays and Saturdays.

      Originally, his business was called the Mac Robertson Steam Confectionery Works and by 1925 MacRobertson's Chocolates employed 2500 people.

    Although Unions were trying hard to bring manufacturers under their thumb for exploiting workers his works never had a strike. He often said that he should liked to have done more for his workers but the union made it too difficult. Never the less, he instituted a form of pension scheme which was innovative as well as being the forerunner of it's day.

      His annual turnover in 1880 was 300 Pounds and by 1925, it was 2,000,000 Pounds. (almost $200,000,000 per annum of 1998 money)

     He was not one to indulge himself with fine homes, yachts and beach houses, as others of his status did. However, he did have an obsession with keeping fit both physically and mentally. For the former he punched a boxing speed ball each day. For the later he choose Croquet because the strategy required to excel relieved his business mental stress and reinforced his own business.

    While others owned race horses, Mac preferred to train his own sulky and tandem ponies and for many years his many famous working Greys - including Wattle, Pride and Captain were the pride of Melbourne.

    After World War I finished in 1918, he saw the new entertainment of Cinema (silent movies) as a new outlet for his lollies and chocolates. He enlisted Veteran Servicemen to take up candy concessions he had arranged with the Cinema owners.

      Most of the young Vets had no idea of running a business and some failed, owing Mac money for his stock. He realised that he would have to train them and his other Veteran concessionaires in business management (or Street Smarts) He realised then and there the value of the thinking Sport of Croquet and had them all take it up to play whenever they were free.

     He told them that "Rich" people had all the time in the world to do things they considered important. "Poor" people on the other hand, couldn't find time for even an education for they were "too busy".

     Croquet proved a wonderful teaching aid for training them in "Technique" (self discipline) "Tactics" of Management and the "Strategy" of Business Owners including Risk Management besides a host of other attitudes which had to be changed.

     The hardest lesson to learn was that, as a business owner, they had to give up the dubious pleasure of their old working class mates. They should associate only with local trade or business class to learn their own trade of being Proprietors - "Owners of a Business" - so to find other business opportunities.

    Eventually, Mac had more than enough Veteran Croquet Players to run Tournaments between his Vets from all over Victoria, South Australia and NSW with very good prizes.

     This enhanced his concession owners knowledge of Business Ownership as he would lecture them in Salesmanship after the games. He would also arrange other Business Owners to give their view on owning and operating a Small Family Business. Thus most of the Vets graduated to bigger businesses and Mac would start all over again training his new Business Owners by way of Croquet.

      In 1925, he wished to do something spectacular to create more media interest (free advertising) in his products. So for his Veteran players he sponsored the "MacRobertson Shield" between Australia and England in their beloved sport of Croquet.

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     Initially the Test Team was comprised of Vets who wanted to return to the United Kingdom to visit the graves of their mates they had left behind. In some cases to marry the girls they had left behind.

        The International Croquet "MacRobertson Shield" is still the most skilled and prestigious Tournament Series on the International Croquet scene. It is now played with the addition of the New Zealand and US of A. National Test Teams.

         In 1927, he co-founded MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co. He then Sponsored an around Australia Expedition by two motor lorries in 1928 (the original Redex Trial). Then, in 1929-30, Mac Sponsored the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition which ensured Australia's hold on the Antarctic mainland.

         Sir Douglas Mawson named MacRobertson Land (on Antarctica) after him and he was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Geographic Society in 1931. He was Knighted in 1932 and appointed K.B.E. in 1935

        With the great depression beginning, he was able to go against the trend and put on even more employees.  His "Old Gold" Chocolate Box and Columbines were exceptionally well Sponsored and advertised. Mac supported Charities and unemployment relief. He was often disappointed at the wretchedness and demands of the poor together with the stupidity and avarice of Federal Politicians - who used the poor for their own ends.

         At this time Mac re-evaluated his charitable actions and financial support to the individual poor. He found this simply encouraged others to ask for a free handout. He found the idle poor were malicious and ever demanding. They despised and abused the prosperous and hard working. He resolved that in future he would cease indiscriminate donations to the individual poor. They had an adverse effect upon himself, his employees and his product. In future he would concentrate on Sponsoring worthwhile projects that created the Wealth of the Nation.

          In 1933, he donated 100,000 Pounds to the State of Victoria for it's Centenary Celebrations (worth now about $10,000,000) When asked what to do with the money he suggested first, a Girls High School; then a much needed bridge over the Yarra River at Grange Rd.; a Fountain in front of the Shrine of Remembrance on St Kilda Rd. and a Herbarium in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. These new building projects would help to employ many of the unemployed who wanted to work rather than criticise the rich.

        To advertise Australia, and Melbourne in particular, he organized and Sponsored, with part of the donation, the great London to Melbourne Centenary Air Race. This was the most gallant and gruelling Air Race of all times and bought to Australia unprecedented publicity. The top Aviators of the world competed and it made the future participation of Australia in International Commercial Aviation assured.

    BUT!

         The Federal Government, in the Politician's wisdom, demanded 42,000 Pounds ($4.2M) from the 100,000 Pounds donated - as Tax. This was, at the time, considered scandalous by the rich and charitable. However, Mac preferred to pay the 42,000 Pounds Tax, himself. Then he vowed to investigate this iniquity and bring it before the highest Court in the land. He was, at the time, the highest Tax payer in Australia, besides one of the biggest employers of labour. And possibly the person least interested in party politics.

       From this and other responsible interpretations of our Australian Federal Constitution, Sponsorships would, in future, be dealt with as a Tax Deduction. Donations would have to be made to prescribed Charities in order to be Tax Deductible. Gifts would have various interpretations - particularly if made to a political party. While Grants would have other strings attached - particularly if from a political party in power.

         Mac pioneered the "Freedom of Choice" in Australia which would result, at the time of his death, with the United Nations having an Australian as the first Secretary, Dr Evatt. Later to be a Judicial Ruling on Tax as the "Choice Principal" (High Court of Australia - Sir Garfield Barwick CJ)

        Sir MacPherson Robertson was, without a doubt, the greatest entrepreneur and philanthropist in contemporary Australian History.

        His confectionery empire, MacRobertson's (with his distinctive signature) was the envy of his International Contemporaries. In later years it has been said that "His "Old Gold" Chocolate Box was the cause of more nuptials than the back seat of an FJ Holden"

         His interest in Commercial Aviation put Australia on the map and has helped QANTAS be one of the great - and the safest airline in the world.

        His Sponsorships proved themselves to be the "20% of the total advertising budget that worked". He was before his time in personally pioneering advertising, sponsorships and product promotion.

        His contribution to the Sport of Croquet will live forever wherever thinking men and women gather in harmony and fellowship within this, his beloved Sport.

       His contribution to the Australian public in making Tax Planning, minimisation and or avoidance (but not evasion) both a Legal and Patriotic necessity is recognized in Legal and Accounting circles in the "Choice Principle", the "Duty of Care". He pioneered what the High Court now considers "necessary" for the survival of the Small Family Business and its employment capability.

          Sir Mac loved Australia and patriotic Australians and made "rich" a proud and honourable accolade. It is said that, whereas Ned Kelly is the Patron Saint of the Australian poor, Mac is the Patron Saint of those who are prepared to learn, work hard, persevere and - who never give in. The true Aussie Battlers!

         Born 1860, at Ballarat Victoria, Sir MacPherson Robertson, a rich Croquet Player, died in 1945, happy and successful at age 85.

(Poor Edward Kelly, horse thief, born Wallan Victoria 1854, was hung as a Thief and Murderer at age 26).

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