Mungo Wentworth MacCallum
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Mungo Wentworth MacCallum (21 December 1941 – 9 December 2020) was an Australian political journalist and commentator. MacCallum was once described by
Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from December 1972 to November 1975. To date the longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he was notable for being ...
as a "tall, bearded descendant of lunatic aristocrats". His father, Mungo Ballardie MacCallum (1913–1999), was a journalist and pioneer of television in Australia, and his great-grandfather, Sir Mungo MacCallum (1854-1942), had been a prominent scholar and university administrator. His mother, Diana Wentworth, was a great-granddaughter of the Australian explorer and politician William Charles Wentworth (1790–1872). Her brother, William Charles Wentworth IV (1907–2003), was a Liberal member for the Division of Mackellar in the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
, where he was a vociferous exponent of
anti-communism Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism, communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global ...
, and of distinctive views on many other issues.


Early life

MacCallum was born in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
and educated at the elite Cranbrook School, a short walk from where he lived with his parents next door to his grandmother's house in Wentworth Street, Point Piper. After leaving school, he went to the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, where he obtained a BA with third-class honours.


Writing career

MacCallum was known for his strongly centre-left, pro-
Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...
views, being critical both of the conservative Liberal and National Parties, and of the far left (e.g., communists) who attacked Labor for its cautious
reformism Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political or religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution. Within the socialist movement, ref ...
. From the 1970s to the 1990s he covered Australian federal politics from the Canberra Press Gallery for ''
The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...
'', '' The National Times'', ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'', ''
Nation Review ''Nation Review'' was an Australian Sunday newspaper, which ceased publication in 1981. It was launched in 1972 after independent publisher Gordon Barton bought out Tom Fitzgerald (economist), Tom Fitzgerald's ''Nation (Australia), Nation'' publ ...
'' and radio stations 2JJ / Triple J and 2SER. During the 1980s he moved to Ocean Shores, on the north coast of New South Wales. He continued to write political commentary, notably for the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...
(ABC) current affairs and news analysis program The Drum, and for the magazine ''
The Monthly ''The Monthly'' is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer ...
''. He appeared on Australia's national '' Community Radio Network''; and contributed columns for the '' Byron Shire Echo'' and ''
The Northern Star ''The Northern Star'' is a daily newspaper serving Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. The newspaper is owned by News Corp Australia. ''The Northern Star'' is circulated to Lismore and surrounding communities, from Tweed Heads to the no ...
'', and cryptic crosswords for ''
The Saturday Paper ''The Saturday Paper'' is an Australian weekly newspaper, launched on 1 March 2014 in hard copy, as an online newspaper and in mobile news format. The paper is circulated throughout Australian capital cities and major regional centres. Since i ...
''. He was the author of several books, including ''Run, Johnny, Run'', written after the
2004 Australian federal election The 2004 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 9 October 2004. All 150 seats in the House of Representatives and 40 seats in the 76-member Senate were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Prime Minist ...
. His autobiographical narrative of the Australian political scene, ''Mungo: the man who laughs'', has been reprinted four times. ''How To Be A Megalomaniac or, Advice to a Young Politician'' was published in 2002, and ''Political Anecdotes'' was published in 2003. In December 2004, Duffy & Snellgrove published ''War and Pieces: John Howard's last election''. On 8 September 2014 a minor sensation was caused when a false report of his death was placed in a tweet on the social media site
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. The matter was clarified within the hour but, within the same hour a trending hashta
#mungolives
had sprung up on the same site. On 2 December 2020, MacCallum announced on the website "Pearls and Irritations" that, due to deteriorating health, he was finishing his journalistic career. He was suffering from
throat cancer Head and neck cancer is a general term encompassing multiple cancers that can develop in the head and neck region. These include cancers of the mouth, tongue, gums and lips ( oral cancer), voice box ( laryngeal), throat ( nasopharyngeal, orophar ...
,
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
, and
heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
, and he died on 9 December 2020, aged 78.


Legal issues

MacCallum was sued for defamation or libel on a number of occasions. In 1971, he published an article regarding former ALP leader Arthur Calwell and several of his factional colleagues, which Calwell claimed portrayed him as disloyal to his successor
Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from December 1972 to November 1975. To date the longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he was notable for being ...
and to the party. Calwell successfully sued for defamation, but the decision was overturned in 1975 on appeal to the High Court in ''Calwell v Ipex Australia Ltd''. In 1976, MacCallum was sued by cabinet ministers Margaret Guilfoyle and Jim Killen for an article alleging they were having an affair with each other. In 1977, he and his publisher was sued by ambassador James Cumes for a 1974 article which "pictured him as vulgar, crass and without sensitivity" in relation to an official visit to China, with Cumes also stating that MacCallum had verbally referred to him as "top of the list" of "fascists or Nazis" within the Department of Foreign Affairs. Cumes received a public apology and was awarded damages of $9,000 () in August 1978, as well as legal costs.


References


Further reading

* Pratt, Mel (1973) ''Interview with Mungo Wentworth MacCallum, Federal political correspondent'' Mel Pratt collection at the National Library of Australia


Bibliography


''Punch and Judy: The Double Disillusion Election Of 2010''
Penguin Books
Australian Story: Kevin Rudd and the Lucky Country
''Quarterly Essay'' 36 December 2009,
''Poll Dancing''
December 2007
Black Inc. books

Evolution Baby
October 2005, ''
The Monthly ''The Monthly'' is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer ...
'' 6
''The Vanishing. It wasn't the time, but he was the leader Labor had to have''
May 2005, ''
The Monthly ''The Monthly'' is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer ...
'' 4
From Nation To Now
May 2005, ''
The Monthly ''The Monthly'' is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer ...
'' 1
''Girt By Sea: Australia, the Refugees and the Politics of Fear''
March 2002, ''Quarterly Essay'' 5 * ''
The Saturday Paper ''The Saturday Paper'' is an Australian weekly newspaper, launched on 1 March 2014 in hard copy, as an online newspaper and in mobile news format. The paper is circulated throughout Australian capital cities and major regional centres. Since i ...
'

Contributors: Mungo MacCallum


External links


''The Monthly''
Articles by Mungo MacCallum for ''
The Monthly ''The Monthly'' is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer ...
''
In Conversation
Mungo MacCallum and Shane Maloney discuss the fall of John Howard and Mungo's account of the campaign, ''Poll Dancing'' published b
Black Inc.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maccallum, Mungo Wentworth 1941 births 2020 deaths Australian Book Review people Australian political journalists University of Sydney alumni People educated at Cranbrook School, Sydney