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[DISTRICT NEWS. DUNGOG. (From an Occasional Correspondent.) DEATH OF DR. McKINLAY. With feelings of the deepest sorrow I have to inform your readers of the death, at the age of 71years, of our much respected friend Dr. McKinlay, who had been a resident of this district for nearly half a century. He qualified in 1837, and came to Australia shortly afterwards, was registered in New South Wales in April, 1840, and arrived in Dungog the same year, being then only 22 years of age. There were at that time but two or three houses in the township, and most of the country being still unimproved, the surrounding bush and vegetation, as well as the native population, luxuriated in their wild and unchecked state of nature. After practising here for nine years the Doctor left in the year 1849 for South Australia, to join his brother (the late John McKinlay, the explorer)in pastoral pursuits, which he followed up with varying success for ten years, and then relinquished returning to Dungog, and resuming practice in1859, and from that time spending his life among us. Shortly after taking up his residence at " The Hermitage," (which was known everywhere on account of the hospitality of its host), he organised and conducted the first Sunday school of the district. He was a trustee and warm supporter of the Presbyterian Church, always took an active interest in the Normal school which existed before the introduction of the present educational system, and was a member and secretary of the School Board for a long period. He was one of the magistracy for many years, and his actions on the bench were at all times characterised by fearlessness and justice, while his great natural ability and exceptional powers of discernment enabled him to grasp all the points of a case with surprising quickness. As a medical man he held the highest qualifications and ranked among the foremost in his profession, his skill being recognised and acknowledged by the leading metropolitan physicians. He was never known to accept a fee from any one in poor circum-stances, and was always ready and anxious to give his services and dispense his medicines gratuitously to such persons. In his earlier days he was ever one of the first in the promotion of any movement which had a tendency to improve the status of the people or the district. Few men, if any, now living, knew so much from personal observation and experience of the habits, customs, and ceremonies peculiar to the aborigines, and he had such a humorous and interesting way of imparting this knowledge to others that many a one will remember with regretful pleasure the information and amusement acquired during an evening in his company. About twelve years ago, while out driving, he was accidentally thrown from his buggy, and sustained an injury to the hip, which was indirectly the cause of death, in so far that he never regained the use of his leg, and on Tuesday evening last, while descending a flight of steps, his injured foot caused him to trip on the top-most stair, and he was thrown with great violence to the ground, from a height of several feet, his head striking a stone with such force that it resulted in concussion of brain. He appeared to be sensible a few minutes after the accident, but from that time was quite unconscious till death, which took place at 9.30 a.m. on Thursday. He was buried on Friday afternoon in the Presbyterian ground, the funeral service being read (in the absence through illness of his own pastor), by the Rev. T. F. Potts, who delivered an appropriate address at the grave. The cortege was the longest ever seen in Dungog, showing the great respect in which the deceased gentleman was held. No one in this community can ever forget poorDr. McKinlay, who abhorred all duplicity and every thing of a mean or underhand nature, who was himself so pure-hearted, sincere, and honour-able; whose deeds of kindness, benevolence, and liberality, have through a long life been conferred on those of all creeds and callings alike, and whose urbanity and courtly manners were ever an example to us all. His memory will be held in reverence by every one who was privileged to know him. He never married and has no relatives in the colony. Dungog, Nov. 16th, 1889.
