Alexander MacRae was an entrepreneur and clothing manufacturer. Born in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, he emigrated to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 where in 1914 he founded the company that became the swimwear giant Speedo

Speedo

Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...

.

MacRae was born in Scotland to Mary and Murdo MacRae. Murdo was a fisherman in the Kyle of Lochalsh

Kyle of Lochalsh

Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...

 in northwest Scotland, and married Mary at the Kyle of Loch Alsh train station

Train station

A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...

. MacRae immigrated to Australia in 1910. In 1914 he founded the hosiery

Hosiery

Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose...

company MacRae Knitting Mills, which was later renamed Speedo by a vote within the company. MacRae married Martha and had five sons and a daughter: Alisdair, William, James, Ronald, Duncan and Jean. After Speedo swimwear was manufactured MacRae flew to America and set up there.