Biography

The deceased was the husband of Christiana McKenzie, also from Scotland. She arrived in Australia in January 1861 on the "Marco Polo" and was married the following year. Christiana died 3 December 1884 and is also buried at Dulbydilla. John McKenzie arrived in Australia around 1852. He was the owner of a hotel at Dulbydilla (formerly known as Blacks Waterhole) for many years. John took up the Dulbydilla Run and Blacks Waterhole Hotel in the mid 1870’s. The hotel was also a Cobb and Co coach waystation that was noted for its hospitality as well as serving good food and drink. John donated ten acres of land for the Dulbydilla Cemetery, situated behind his hotel. The story goes that the family built a small home in a nearby town and went out to Dulbydilla to collect him only to find he had passed away. He never left Dulbydilla or his beloved wife Christiana, who had pre-deceased him by some 24 years..