John McKinlay

John McKinlay (26 August 1819 – 31 December 1872), was an explorer of Australia.

Early life

McKinlay was born at Sandbank on the River Clyde, Scotland, third son of Dugald McKinlay. He emigrated to Sydney when 17 years of age.He began his colonial experience with an uncle who was a squatter, and afterwards made his way to near the border of South Australia, where he took up land between there and the Darling River. He was interested in the aborigines of the district, and his knowledge of their ways was of great use to him when he became an explorer.

earch for Burke and Wills

In 1861 McKinlay was asked by the South Australian government to organize an expedition to search for the Burke and Wills expedition party about whose fate there was then much anxiety. McKinlay left Adelaide on 16 August 1861 with nine other men, 70 sheep, two packhorses and four camels. On 20 October 1861 the grave of Gray was found near Cooper's Creek. McKinlay sent word of this to the government, and soon afterwards learned that the remains of Burke and Wills had also been found. He decided to explore in the direction of Mount Stuart, but was driven back by heavy rains and floods. McKinlay then decided to make for the Gulf of Carpentaria, hoping to find the vessel which had been sent to meet Burke's party. The shores of the Gulf were thought to be only four or five miles away, on 20 May 1862, but the intervening country was very difficult, and it was decided to turn east and make for Port Denison on the shores of northern Queensland. A station on the Bowen River near Port Denison was reached on 2 August 1862, and, after a few days rest, Port Denison. The party then returned by sea to Adelaide. McKinlay received a grant of £1000 from the government and a gold watch from the Royal Geographical Society of England.

Northern Territory

In 1863 McKinlay married Miss Pile, the daughter of an old friend, but was not allowed to settle down for long. In September 1865 he was sent to explore the Northern Territory and to report on the best sites for settlement. It was an exceptionally rainy season and while on the East Alligator River the expedition was surrounded by flood waters. With great resource McKinlay, having killed his horses, constructed a raft with their hides and made a perilous journey to the coast. He reported favourably on the country near Anson Bay as being suitable for settlement.

Late life

After his return he took up pastoral pursuits near the town of Gawler, South Australia, and died there on 31 December 1872. A monument to his memory was erected at Gawler in 1875. McKinlay was a man of fine physique, 6 feet 3½ inches (192 cm) high, modest and unassuming. He was an excellent bushman, making little of his privations, knowing when to push on and when to be cautious, and though he made only two expeditions, he ranks among the great explorers of Australia.

References

*Dictionary of Australian Biography|First=John|Last=McKinlay |Link=http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogMc.html#mckinlay1
*' [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050200b.htm McKinlay, John (1819 - 1872)] ', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 5, MUP, 1974, pp 174-176.
*Lockwood, Kim, "Big John: The Extraordinary Adventures of John McKinlay, 1819-1872", State Library of Victoria, 1995, 194pp.

External links

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