McCready was born in Kawakawa in 1916, the son of Alexander McCready. He received his education at Kawakawa District High School. In 1942, McCready married Grace Lorraine Maher, the daughter of Jimmy Maher, later the MP for Otaki. They had one son and one daughter. In World War II he served in the New Zealand Army for 3½ years.
He worked for the Post Office Department for ten years. He was then the director of the Wellington Dairy Farmers Co-op, and then director of the Hutt Valley Milk Treatment Corporation, the Featherston Co-op, and finally the Dairy Company Limited. He was vice-president of the Wellington and Hutt Valley A & P Association.
He stood unsuccessfully for the Heretaunga electorate in 1954 and 1957.[3] When his father-in-law retired from the Otaki electorate at the 1960 election, McCready succeeded him.[4] He represented the Otaki electorate until 1972, then the Manawatu electorate from 1972 to 1978, when he retired.
He was a Cabinet Minister in the Second and Third National Government, including the position of Postmaster-General (1969–1972), Minister of Marine and Fisheries (1969–1972), Minister of Defence (1975–1978), and Minister of Police (1975–1978).
In the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours, McCready was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.[7] McCready died on 8 August 2003, aged 86.[8] He was survived by his wife and children.[4]
