Dr ken mccracken biography of rory

Biography

Kenneth Gordon McCracken was born in Brisbane, Queensland on 7 August, 1933. His father, Richard McCracken, was born in Scotland in 1900 and left school at end of primary school to work in the shipyards as a ‘measurer’.

Richard emigrated to Queensland in 1923, studied accountancy in night school and rose to become Deputy Commissioner of Taxation, Tasmania. Ken’s mother, Elisabeth Menzies, was born in 1906 of Scottish/German descent. She was a Tutor and married Richard in 1928.

Ken was their only child.

Ken McCracken’s primary schooling was in Morooka Primary, Brisbane (1939), Deepdene Primary, Melbourne (1940-43) and Telopea Park Primary, Canberra (1943-44); and his secondary schooling at Canberra High School (1945-46) and Hobart High School (1946-49).

In reflecting on his childhood Ken recalled:

My childhood saw many moves, to new states, schools, etc.