He subsequently established the Sunshine Harvester Works, which became one of Australia's largest manufacturers of agricultural equipment.

Hugh attended Drummartin Primary School, and received some education from his father Nathaniel, before returning to the farm at 13.

Although he lost a Victorian Government prize for the first working stripper-harvester to James Morrow in 1885,[2] he successfully commercialised his invention, and had them built under contract in Melbourne and Bendigo.

[4] A dispute between McKay and the unions representing the Sunshine workers was heard before the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in Melbourne between 7 October 1907 and 8 November 1907.

McKay successfully appealed this judgement, but it became the basis of the basic wage, which dominated Australian economic life for the next 60 to 80 years.

McKay died at Rupertswood, a mansion in Sunbury, Victoria (notable as the birthplace of the Ashes) on 21 May 1926 and was survived by his wife, his daughter Hilda Stevenson and his two sons.

His will was valued at £1,448,146; a codicil vested the income from 100,000 shares in the H. V. McKay Charitable Trust, chaired by George Swinburne.