Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Regret will be felt at the news of the death of the Rev Dr Daniel Macdonald which took place at his home Mozart street St, Kilda on Monday night. Mr MacDonald was aged 81 years and many interesting events of the New Hebrides are associated with the story of his life. Mr. Macdonald who was the first young Victorian to go to the New Hebrides as a missionary, was engaged in the same island group as the late Rev. John Paton, who was on the island of Aniwa. Associated with Dr. J.W. McKenzie on the island of Efate, Mr. Macdonald, who was stationed on the Havanah harbour side, succeeded, together with his colleague, in christianising the island. while there, he married the daughter of Dr. Geddie, a veteran missionary in the New Hebrides. When, in 1886. the French established a military post at Havanah harbour and at Port Sandwich on Malekula Island, with a view to gaining control, Mr. Macdonald brought the facts under the notice of the Australian authorities, who in turn protested to the British Government. The result was that the French withdrew the posts in 1888, a joint agreement was arrived at between the British and French Governments that neither would annex the islands, and a joint naval commission (the Precursor of the present condominium) was appointed to regulate affairs. Mr. Macdonald retired from his missionary labours shortly before the close of the century, and then became an active member of the foreign mission committee of the Presbyterian Church. Together with the Rev. Peter MIlne and Dr. J.W. McKenzie, he translated the scriptures into the language of the island of Efate, and was the author of several important books on Melanesian language. Mr. Macdonald leaves a widow and family of five sons and four daughters. The funeral will take place this afternoon at the Boroondara Cemetery, Kew.

​The Australasian Saturday 23 April 1927 page 42

Rev. Daniel Macdonald D.D. applied for a commission in the military forces in 1916, aged 70 years. Rev. Macdonald was a fine looking man, 6ft 2" in height. He served as an unsalaried chaplain (voyage only) with the A.I.F. (Australian Imperial Forces) from 1916-1917, as a Presbyterian Chaplain (Capt.). Daniel's son Herbert was then serving on the front line in France with the AIF.

Rev. Macdonald embarked on the "Uganda" from Melbourne on 8th September, 1916 for Plymouth, arriving 15th November 1916, via Durban and Dakar. On 14th November a torpedo boat arrived in the Bay of Biscay from England to escort the ship as protection from submarines. While in London Rev. Macdonald sought permission to visit his son at the frontline in France.

On 10th January 1917 Rev Macdonald embarked on the "H.T.Mashrobra" from Cardiff for Australia. From his diary: "Many ships in sight, zigzagging to avoid being torpedoed by submarines." The ship steamed past Ireland, Spain, Gibraltar and Algeria on route to Malta.On 21st January the "Mashroba" anchored at Malta.

While in Malta Rev. Macdonald visited Pieta Cemetery and saw graves of Australian soldiers wounded at Gallipoli who died in Malta. 

On 12th February the ship continued to Port Suez with a torpedo boat as escort. Rev. Macdonald disembarked at Alexandria on 15th February. Two trains were then taken to Benha, then Ishmailia. 

On 16th February 1917 he embarked on the "H.S.Shropshire" at Suez for Australia on transport duty. After steaming though the Suez, the Red Sea, past Aden and through the Indian Ocean the ship arrived at Colombo on 28th February. On March 2nd left Colombo for Fremantle, finally arriving at Port Melbourne on 21st March 1917, when his appointment was terminated.