Downfall: The Destruction of Charles Mackay

by Paul Diamond

In 1920 New Zealanders were shocked by the news that the brilliant, well-connected mayor of genteel Whanganui had shot a young gay poet, D' Arcy Cresswell, who was blackmailing him. They were then riveted by the trial that followed. Mackay was sentenced to hard labour and later left the country, only to be shot by a police sniper during street unrest in Berlin during the rise of the Nazis. Mackay had married into Whanganui high society, and the story has long been the town' s dark secret. The outcome of years of digging by historian Paul Diamond, this book shines a clear light on the vengeful impulses behind the blackmail and Mackay' s ruination. The cast of this tale includes the Prince of Wales, the president of the RSA, Sir Robert Stout, Blanche Baughan . . . even Lady Ottoline Morrell. But it is much more than an extraordinary story of scandal. At its heart, the Mackay affair reveals the perilous existence of homosexual men and how society conspired to control and punish them.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, History, Biography

328 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2022

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled upon this book on a whim when I was looking for something non-fiction, and wow, such a great surprise.

I really can't believe I had never heard about this case before, or Charles Mackay. It's evident that Paul Diamond put a lot of time and effort into researching his life (also Cresswell's) and the infamous Whanganui incident, providing a well rounded image of what happened, what allegedly lead it to happen, and what life he led afterwards.

As well as providing insight into his personal situation, it cast a researched look into the lives of homosexual men in New Zealand, London and Berlin in the 1920s, which was 1) very interesting and 2) made you wonder how he compared his post-prison life to his pre-prison life, which was dramatically cut short during Blutmai.

[Frazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew that little old Whanganui was the site of such scandal? Attempted murder, blackmail, coverup, slander, and some terrible poetry, all centred around the mayor's office of 1920s Whanganui.
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The facts are interesting enough. But Diamond draws out how they reflect a deeply repressive and derivative culture endemic in the Aotearoa of that time: a culture struggling to forge a national identity between colonising powers, and finding instead a common hatred of homosexuality.
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The chapter Erasure clinically lays out how Charles Mackay was literally written out of history, his chief offence not attempted murder but his unspeakable 'perversity'. Mackay doesn't emerge a hero, just a deeply human man caught in a cruel age.
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Diamond's book is carefully researched and sourced but in a way that doesn't distract. Extensive colour photographs make the reading experience a real pleasure.
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100 years on from Mackay's sentencing, Diamond's book fights the tide of unjust obsolescence, a reminder of the power of literature.

[Sonya Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book bringing to light the sad, amazing, and intriguing life of the mayor of Whanganui who shot a man in 1920 who was threatening to reveal his homosexuality. Charles Mackay was also the brains behind the creation of the Sargeant Gallery and perhaps much that makes Whanganui the beautiful and artistic city it is today. Also fascinating were his subsequent moves to London and Berlin in order to live a freer life. Can definitely see potential for a film from this book.

[Rose Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder, mystrey, blackmail, sexuality and much more. Great insight into attitudes towards gay men in New Zealand during the 1920s / 1930s, and in reality, much longer. I chose to read this book for my book club and pleased I did. Paul Diamond, you did Charles Mckay proud. Charles Mckay, I salute you.

[Nathaniel Flakin · Rating 4 out of 5]

On May 1, 1929, Berlin police banned all demonstrations — and to enforce the ban, they murdered 33 people. The 33rd victim of the Blutmai (Bloody May Day) massacre was a 53-year-old man from New Zealand: Charles MacKay was a correspondent for a British newspaper who was looking around on Hermannstraße on the evening of May 3 when he was shot and killed by a police sniper. The path that led MacKay to that street corner in Neukölln is rather amazing. In a previous life, he had been a lawyer and the mayor of Whanganui, a mid-sized city on New Zealand's North Island. He was gay, and in 1920, a young man attempted to blackmail him. In desperation, MacKay shot and almost killed the extortionist. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released after six on the condition that he leave New Zealand forever. His wife divorced him and changed the family name. He lost all his property and his law license, and all mention of him was stricken from the town's records — his name was literally chipped off a plaque on a Whanganui museum he had opened. Yet for MacKay, disgrace and exile represented freedom: first in London, and then especially in Berlin, he could live more or less openly as a gay man. In the 1920s, Berlin was the third largest city in the world, with the most vibrant queer scene. Less than a year after arriving, MacKay was shot dead by Berlin police. No one was ever charged with the murder — then as now, German police enjoy almost complete impunity. This biography of MacKay was the product of almost 20 years of research, and the author really pulls at every thread, presenting both intimate details and sociological trends. I hope to write an essay about MacKay's life soon.

[Nina Ive · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent piece of NZ history. Charles Mackay was a respected and long-standing Mayor of Wanganui until the fateful day in 1920 when he shot Darcy Cresswell, a returned soldier, after an altercation between the two of them in his office.

Creswell survived and outed Mackay as a homosexual - then illegal. Mackay was convicted to 15 years hard.labour in Mt Eden prison and within months was divorced from his wife, struck off the bar, declared bankrupt and hailed as perverse.

This novel is wonderfully researched and describes the Whanganui of the time, the role that Mackay had in developing the city and of the double life that homosexuals had to lead to hide their secrets.

[Helen Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extraordinary story from 1920’s New Zealand when a brilliant, well connected mayor of Whanangui shot a young, gay poet who was blackmailing him. Well written with accompanying illustrations and photos.

[Alice Mander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting piece of unknown New Zealand history and fantastic story. Very accessible writing! One star knocked because I think it made some fairly implausible connections, but overall really recommend it.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew there was so much drama in Whanganui! An interesting insight into both early 20th century NZ and how gay people were treated at that time.

[Jackson Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history that the attempt to erase only made larger and more interesting.