 He was formerly the independent member for the Electoral district of Manly in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and Mayor of Manly Council.Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Macdonald was educated in Edinburgh, the University of London (MB,BS) and Kings College Hospital.During this time, he was involved with the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) and joined the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, obtaining a Diploma in Anaesthetics (DA) and a Diploma in Obstetrics (DRCOG).