John McCallum (Australian politician)

John Archibald McCallum (31 July 1892 – 30 December 1973) was an Australian school teacher and politician, Senator for New South Wales.

McCallum was born in Mittagong, New South Wales, the son of Welsh-born Catherine Margaret, née Protheroe (1857–?) and her husband Scottish coach builder Archibald Duncan McCallum (1857–1939). He was educated at Sydney High School and Sydney Teachers College, teaching at Parramatta High School before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in September 1915, serving in Egypt, France and Belgium. He was injured in the Battle of Polygon Wood in September 1917. He was wounded in the right leg and was subsequently discharged. Upon his return he studied history at the University of Sydney under George Arnold Wood, where he attained first class honours and the university medal in 1921. He returned to teaching history and economics, a member of the Teachers' Federation and was active in the Workers' Educational Association, contributing to its journal Australian Highway. He was a director of the Australian Institute of Political Science, contributing to its journal, Australian Quarterly and representing it as an observer at the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in 1947. He also contributed to New Outlook and appeared on The World We Live in, a schools programme on the ABC.