©bituariT. 



Samuel Walker McGowan. 



Mr. McGowan was born on the 4th of January, 1829, at 

 Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where he received his early education. 

 He studied for the legal profession for four years at Toronto, until 

 the death of his father in 1847. He then attended lectures on 

 natural science, and learnt the Morse system of telegraphy under 

 its inventor. Professor Morse, from whom he received high 

 testimonials. He then served successively in the Toronto and 

 Buffalo Electro-magnetic Telegraph Company, the Montreal 

 Telegraph Company, and the New ^ork, Albany, and Buffalo 

 Telegraph Company until 1852, when, upon the advice of 

 Professor Morse, he came to Melbourne, where he landed early 

 in 1853. He brought with him materials and instruments for 

 establishing a telegraph company ; but the Government having 

 decided to assume the management of the local telegraphs, he 

 tendered for their construction ; his offer was accepted, and the 

 work was so satisfactorily performed, that he was appointed to 

 the charge of the Telegraph Department, which he retained till 

 his death, on the 18th April, 1887. He was also Deputy 

 Postmaster General since the amalgamation of the Post and 

 the Telegraph Departments in 1885. In 1886 he received twelve 

 months' leave of absence on full pay, with the view of obtaining 

 all the latest information in Europe and America respecting 

 telegraphs and telephones. He returned to Melbourne in April 

 1887, with abundant materials for a voluminous report. He had 

 suffered at the commencement of his return voyage from an attack 

 of congestion of the lungs. Upon his arrival, however, he felt 

 v/ell enough to resume duty, but served one day only, when he 

 had a relapse, and rapidly became so much worse, that he had an 

 operation performed on the morning of the 18th of April, and 

 died about 9 o'clock the same evening. 



He was an able, energetic, and conscientious public officer. 

 Besides organising and managing from the commencement the 

 whole telegraph service of Victoria for 34 years, he also acted as 

 Captain of the Torpedo Corps, and served on the Council of the 

 Koyal Society at various times since 1862, where his valuable 

 assistance and counsel were highly appreciated. Here his loss 

 was felt more than in the country at large, for many of his 

 colleagues were privileged to be his intimate friends. 



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