Gregory Alan MackieOAM is a South Australian cultural advocate and entrepreneur who has worked to promote the arts and culture in Australia. He served two separate terms as an elected Councillor on the Adelaide City Council. He was managing director of independent bookshop Imprints Booksellers from 1984 to 2007, and founded the Adelaide Festival of Ideas in 1999.
Gregory Alan Mackie[1] is the son of Graham Miller, who, with his wife Gayle Miller and her friend Patricia Sykes, first opened the literary book retailer Imprints Booksellers at 80 Hindley Street, Adelaide, in 1984.[2]
Before going to university, Mackie's working life started in 1979, when he worked as a buyer for Myer SA Stores until 1982. He moved on from this position to become a manager of Semprini's (newsagent) in Unley for a year.[3][4]
Mackie studied at Flinders University, graduating with a BA degree in 1987.[5] While a student, he worked for his father at Imprints Booksellers on weekends, and six months later, bought into the business.[2]
Career
From 1984 until 2003 Mackie was director and co-proprietor (with Gayle Miller[2]), of Imprints.[6] In 1986 he co-established the Art Zone Gallery, and was coordinator of the gallery until 2000.[3] Imprints moved to no. 107 Hindley Street in 1999, around the time that many arts organisations were moving into the vicinity, including Adelaide Festival offices above the shop.[2] During the 1990s, Mackie founded the West End Association (to boost the profile of the changing "West End" of the city.[4] Mackie and Miller sold the shop in 2007 to Jason Lake and Katherine Woehlert, who had been working there for some time.[2]
From 2008 until 2011 he was deputy chief executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet during the Rann government.[11] During this time Mackie chaired the State Emergency Management Committee. His responsibilities included Arts SA, the Capital City Committee Directorate, the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence Program, the Integrated Design Commission SA,[6] and The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI).[12]
From 2008 to 2013, he served as chair of the South Australian Premier's Communications Advisory Group, the state's watchdog on tax-payer funded advertising.[7][3]
In 2012, Mackie was appointed head of the Office for the Ageing, under SA Health, as well as becoming an interim director at the Adelaide Botanic Garden.[6] He left SA Health in 2013 and established his own consultancy practice.[7]
In March 2016 Mackie was appointed CEO of the History Trust of South Australia (formerly History SA), with effect from the end of April 2016. The organisation is responsible for the Migration Museum, National Motor Museum, and Maritime Museum. It also runs the annual History Festival and various other community programs.[11] He is still in the position As of March 2024[update].[6]
In May 2020 Mackie was once again elected to the City of Adelaide council, this time as a result of a by-election.[13]Sandy Verschoor was mayor at this time.[4] He resigned in June 2022, citing the "corrosive nature" and "relentless domination of the Team Adelaide faction".[14]
Other activities
Mackie has also been a member of several boards and panels. During his years of running Imprints, Mackie also served in many board and other advocacy roles in the community and cultural benefit sectors, including serving as a board member for the FEAST Adelaide Lesbian and Gay Cultural Festival[15] from 1996 to 1999.[3]
He served for a decade with the Adelaide Writers' Week advisory committee, including four years as its chair (1994–98), and in 1999 he founded the Adelaide Festival of Ideas,[16][17] of which he remains director as of 2024[update].[6]
He was as a Trustee of the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust from 2000 to 2003, and a member of the Libraries Board of South Australia in 2002 and 2003.[3][7]
He has also served on the Council of the University of South Australia,[7] and was on the advisory board of the Dame Roma Mitchell Trust Fund for Children and Young People[9] between 2000 and 2004.[3]
2002: Medal of the Order of Australia, "For service to the community through the promotion of the arts, particularly the Adelaide Festival of Ideas"[1]
