From Groves And Clark To Order Of Australia Ian Macdonald AM

A former partner who went on to serve his community, state and nation, Ian Macdonald AM started his career with Groves and Clark in 1964 immediately after completing school at Ayr State High School. He says he’d always been interested in law, politics and government, and even wanted to be Prime Minister for a period of his high school years. This led him to serving Ayr State High School as School Captain and House Captain, roles he reflects on proudly.
Ian had travelled to Brisbane in the August holidays of his senior year to seek opportunities upon graduation. His school knew of his ambitions, of course, and one fateful day, he was invited to the principal’s office.
“I went to the principal’s office wondering what I’d done, and Frank Clark was there offering me an opening for an Articled Clerk, which I was very keen to do,” Ian reflected.
He became a qualified Solicitor in 1969, joining the firm’s leadership team as a Junior Partner later that year. He pursued his interest in Government and was elected to the Ayr Shire Council in 1979, playing an instrumental role in renaming the Shire of Ayr to the Shire of Burdekin. He stood unsuccessfully as a state candidate for the Liberal Party in 1983, but his interest in the Liberal Party prevailed.
“I continued my interest in the Liberal Party on the State Executive and stood for preselection for the senate in 1990 and, against all odds, expectations and predictions, I was preselected to lead the Liberal Party senate ticket,” he recalled.
Ian went on to leave Groves and Clark in 1990 before serving as a Senator for Queensland from 1990 to 2019, becoming the longest-serving incumbent member of parliament for the final years of his career. He was also appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours.
“It’s an interesting career,” he recalled of his time with Groves and Clark. “Being able to help people, hard workers who sometimes didn’t understand the language or the law, to have their confidence was a great feeling. Our firm, then and now, had a very good reputation.”

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