Samuel McCaughey

McCaughey was born on 1 July 1835 at Tullynewey, near Ballymena, Ireland, the son of Francis McCaughey, farmer and merchant, and his wife Eliza, née Wilson.^[1]

McCaughey died at Yanco on 25 July 1919.^[1][2]

He was a philanthropist; he donated £10,000 to the Dreadnought Fund, £10,000 to Dr Barnardo's Homes, gave liberally to the Red Cross and other war charities besides insuring 500 soldiers at £200 each.^{[citation needed]}

After his death, his estate was sworn for probate at over £1,600,000. Apart from bequests of £200,000 and all his motor vehicles to his brother John and legacies to his station managers and employees, he left £10,000 to increase the stipends of Presbyterian clergy, £20,000 to the Burnside Orphan Homes at Parramatta, £20,000 to Scots College in Sydney, £10,000 each to five other independent schools (Newington College, Sydney Church of England Grammar School, Sydney Grammar School, Cranbrook School, Sydney and The King's School, Parramatta), £5000 to the Salvation Army and £5000 each to seven hospitals.^[3]

Half the residue of his estate went to the University of Sydney (£458,000 from which nine chairs were created, including the McCaughey Chair of French)^[4] and to the University of Queensland. The other half went to the relief of members of the Australian Military and Naval Expeditionary Forces and their widows and children.^[1]

His portrait by John Longstaff is in the Great Hall of the University of Sydney.^{[citation needed]}

His brother John, also a pastoralist, has an art prize in his name: the John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize was set up by his widow Mona in 1957.^[7]