James McKinley was born in Dublin, Ireland and migrated to Australia in the mid-1860s with his father James (a publisher), mother, Mary (nee Loughey) and brother, Alexander, and the pair became leading newspaper proprietors of the latter half of the 19th century.
After originally managing the modest Talbot Leader from 1869 to late in 1871, the brothers purchased the satirical Melbourne Punch (modelled on the English “Punch“) in 1872. The magazine became immensely popular for its tongue-in-cheek criticism of Sir Graeme Berry’s Colonial Government.
In 1881, James sold his interest in the paper to his brother (later Mayor of Malvern) and became the managing editor and proprietor of Melbourne’s Daily Telegraph and also briefly controlled The Herald and Weekly Times newspapers before reuniting with Alexander to rescue Melbourne Punch during the depression of the early 1890s.
McKinley married Janet Mitchel Smith, and after living in Napier Street, Fitzroy for some years, they moved to “The Priory”, 2 Ross Street, Northcote around 1877.
With his commitment to the Melbourne publishing interests, McKinley’s involvement in local affairs was minimal, but he did serve as the joint secretary (along with the Rev. Duncan Fraser) of the Northcote Health League, a group that fought hard to keep “obnoxious” industries like abattoirs and fell-mongers out of Northcote.
He did however, have extensive land holdings in Preston, at one point according to Hartley. W. Forster’s “Preston – Lands and People” selling a large part of the Merrilands Estate for £167,445 just before the land boom collapsed in the early 1890s.
James and Janet McKinley remained in Ross Street for just on twenty years before moving to New Street, Brighton in 1896, their six children, James junior, Gilbert, Harry, Alexander, William and Elizabeth were all born in Northcote.
The first four brothers mentioned served during the First World War, James was killed in 1915 when serving as a pilot with the Royal Air Force, and Alexander in 1917 with the A.I.F. Gilbert and Harry both returned to Australia with the rank of Lieutenant.
James McKinley died in May, 1908, his wife Janet surviving long enough to see Gilbert and Harry return home before dying in August,1919. Both are interred in Brighton General Cemetery
The Age 28 May 1908.
The Argus 28 & 30 May 1908.
ADB Volume 5 1851-90 (K-Q).
Brighton Southern Cross 30 June 1917 p2.
Northcote Leader, October, 1915
Preston – Lands and People, Hartley W.Forster
