This is an 1886 certificate admitting George Mackay to practise as an attorney, solicitor and proctor in the courts of the colony of Victoria. George Sutherland Mackay (1850-1926) was born in Scotland and educated at the University of Glasgow. He came to Australia in 1884. In 1891 he came to Warrnambool and established a legal practice in Kepler Street. In 1893 he bought the practice of the late James Fletcher and the firm was then known as Fletcher and Mackay. It changed to Mackay and Taylor (later Mackay Taylor) when J.D. Taylor became his partner in the 1920s. In 1999 Tait Solicitors and Mackay Taylor amalgamated to form Tait Taylor and in 2010 the firm’s name became Tait Legal. This certificate is of considerable importance as a significant memento of George Mackay, a prominent lawyer in Warrnambool from the 1890s to 1926.This is a paper certificate pasted on board and set into a brown cardboard frame. The certificate has brown or gold handwriting with some calligraphy, three or four stamps (mostly obliterated), a green duty stamp and the remains of a signature. The frame is tattered at the edges and stained at the back.george sutherland mackay, warrnambool lawyer, j.d. taylor, tait solicitors and mackay taylor, history of warrnambool

Eight of these letter books contain letters written by the Warrnambool lawyer George Mackay. They are mostly letters written to contacts while he was living in Scotland and letters sent from Warrnambool to Scotland to his daughter, Margueretta (Meta) who was studying medicine. Scottish-born George Sutherland Mackay (1850-1926) opened a legal practice in Kepler Street, Warrnambool in 1891 and in 1893 bought the business of the late James Fletcher, with the business known as Fletcher and Mackay. In the 1920s John Taylor became a partner and the firm of Mackay, Taylor & Co. (later Mackay Taylor) continued until 1999 when it merged with Taits Solicitors to form Tait Taylor (now Taits Legal). George Mackay was a Warrnambool Councillor and the first Mayor to hold office for four successive years. He was instrumental in getting the Warrnambool High School established and was the Chairman of the first School Council. Two of these letter books contain letters written by Ernest Powling. One letter book contains letters written by James Mack, a Warrnambool accountant These letter books are of considerable importance as they contain letters relating to legal matters in Warrnambool and district from the late 19th century to the mid 1940s. The letters also give an insight into the private life of a prominent Warrnambool lawyer, George Sutherland Mackay..1 This letter book has a dark blue cover, brown leather binding, an alphabetical index with tabs and handwritten letters. The spine is damaged. .2 This letter book has a dark red cover with red binding, an alphabetical index with tabs, a handwritten label on the front cover, information on the ledger maker and the handwriting of the letter writer inside the front cover. The spine is slightly damaged. .3 This letter book has a dark red mottled cover with white binding, an alphabetical index with tabs and a handwritten label on the front cover. .4 This letter book has a dark red cover with white paper binding and a handwritten label on the cover. .5 This letter book has a dark blue cover, red binding, and alphabetical index with tabs. The spine is slightly damaged. A loose receipt is inside the front cover. .6 This letter book has a mottled blue and pink cover, black binding, an alphabetical index with tabs and handwritten personal letters. .7 This letter book has a dark green cover, brown binding, an alphabetical index with coloured tabs and handwritten private letters. .8 This letter book has a mottled cover with black binding and an alphabetical index with tabs. Many of the letter copies are upside down. .9 This letter book has a dark green cover with red binding, an alphabetical index with tabs and handwritten personal letters. .10 This letter book has a dark green cover with buff-coloured leather binding, an alphabetical index with tabs and copies of typed letters. The leather is torn on the front cover. .11 This letter book has a green cover, a brown leather spine and a paper label pasted on the cover. This book has the spine detached and is badly waterstained .2 G Sutherland Mackay 1874 Private Letter Book james mack, warrnambool, ernest powling, port fairy, george mackay, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This ledger is Volume One of a series of Copy Title Books that contain certificates of land titles from the Warrnambool district in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It came from the former premises of the Warrnambool legal firm, Mackay Taylor. This firm originated in the 1890s when George Mackay established a legal practice in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. In 1893 he bought the legal business of James Fletcher, following the death of the latter and the practice became known as Fletcher and Mackay. In 1926 John Taylor became a partner with George Mackay (who died that year) and Mackay, Taylor and Co continued on until 1999 when the firm merged with Tait Solicitors and became Tait Taylor. In 2010 it was renamed Taits Legal. This ledger is of great importance as it contains early certificates of titles of land and property in the Warrnambool district. The information contained therein will be of significant importance to researchers of local history.This is a hard cover book of 200 pages with a mottled green cover and black binding. The index is typed and the contents include certificates of land and property titles and some sketch maps.warrnambool land and property, mackay taylor, history of warrnambool