He was president and a councillor of the Shire of Wycheproof, chairman of the Victorian Wheat Growers' Corporation, an executive member of the Chamber of Agriculture, and a member of the advisory committee to the Wheat Board.

[1][2][3][4] In 1931, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Country Party member for Wimmera, and was re-elected in 1934.

[2] In 1937, McClelland lost Country Party preselection for the 1937 election to Alexander Wilson, who unlike McClelland opposed the federal composite ministry.

[5] He recontested as an unendorsed candidate, and though federal Country Party leader Earle Page came to his electorate to campaign for him, was defeated by Wilson.

This article about a National Party of Australia politician is a stub.