Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Saturday 17 August 1878, page 17


Mr. and Mrs. Finlay,

This week we publish portraits of the bride and bridegroom who were the subjects of the vice-regal marriage, which was described at length in last week's Town and Country Journal.

Mr. Alexander Kirkman Finlay, of Glenormiston, Nooral, Victoria, is the second son of Mr. Alex-ander Struthers Finlay, of Castle Toward, Argyll-shire, Scotland, who for many years represented the county in the House of Commons. His grand-father, Mr. Kirkman Finlay, was also a member of the British Parliament, representing Glasgow Boroughs. He was elected Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow in 1817.

Mr. A. K. Finlay came out to Victoria about nine years ago, after completing his education at Harrow and at Cambridge, where he took the degree of M. A. He is a station holder on a large scale in that

colony.

Mrs. Finlay, the second daughter of Sir Hercules and Lady Robinson, bears the names of Nora Augusta Maud. The distinguished career of her father, and his high reputation as an administra-tor of the government in different parts of the British Empire, are well known to all our readers.

[MR. A. K. FINLAY.]

[MRS. A. K. FINLAY.]

Her paternal grandfather was Admiral Hercules Robinson, R.N. Her maternal grandfather was Viscount Valentia. So that on both sides she comes of illustrious parentage.

St. James's Church, the scene of the interesting ceremony, of the interior of which an engraving appears at page 313, was built in the year 1820, during the administration of Governor Mac-quarie. The first incumbent of this Church was the Rev. Richard Hill. He died sud-denly, while in the performance of his duty in the church, and was succeeded after a short in-terval (during which the Rev. Willian M. Cowper, Rev. William Yates, and Rev. Robert Cartwright fulfilled the duties) by the Rev. George Napoleon

Woodd. In 1839 the Rev. Canon Allwood took charge of the church, and has continued there ever

since.

The monuments and testimonials in the church celebrate the memory, among others, of Sir Maurice O'Connell (Lieutenant-Governor), Rev. Richard Hill, Commodore Sir James Brisbane,

Lord Bertrand Gordon, Lady Mary Fitzroy, Bishop Patteson, Kennedy the explorer and his faithful attendant Jacky Jacky, Sir Everard Horne, Dr. Wardell, Dr. Charles Nathan, Captain William Russell, Captain Dumaresq, Captain Green of the ill-fated Dunbar, and Mr. Alexander Macleay.

We learn that Mrs. Russell, the claimant of the great Titian picture "Danae, and the Shower of

Gold," has caused her solicitor, Mr. R. B. Smith, to issue a writ for £5000 against Mr. Fielding, for reten-tion of the treasure. The trial cannot come on before November.

Our Ryde correspondent intimates the death of Mr. W. Cowell, of the Gladesville Hotel. The deceased was an old resident, much respected, and his remains were followed to the cemetery by a large funeral pro-cession, including sixty members of the Order of Odd-fellows, in mourning regalia. The burial services

were read bv the Rev. Mr. Britten.

The Government have agreed to ask Parliament for an additional annual grant for the University of £5000, to enable the Senate to augment the teaching power, or curriculum, of the University. The Senate proposes to add to the present cur-riculum : (1) mental philosophy, law, history, and English literature ; (2) all the education necessary for the medical profession ; (3) a complete course of natural philosophy, coupled with mechanics and engineering ; (4) the addition of organic chemistry and metallurgy to the chemical school ; (5) biology, including animal and vegetable physiology. Should Parliament make the requisite appropriation, the Senate will be in a position to establish a faculty of science, and to confer the degrees of bachelor and doctor of science, as is done in the University of Lon-don ; and also degrees in medicine upon those who have received their education in Sydney.