The Brisbane Courier, Friday 24 May 1929
(Queensland)

OBITUARY
The death occurred on Tuesday of Mr. Richard Bray Parkyn, another old identity of Gympie. During the past 50 years deceased occupied a most prominent position in local mining and public activities. He had been an inmate of the Lister Private Hospital for several weeks past. The late Mr. Parkyn, who was aged 73 years, was a native of Cornwall, and fifty years ago he arrived in Gympie. He was a mine manager for 37 years, and was associated with the Crown and Phoenix, Blocks United, No. 2 Great Eastern, and the Eastern Gympie Gold Mines. He was also a director of several mining companies, and a successfull mining investor. Keenly interested in civic matters, the deceased gentleman was connected with the Widgee Shire Council, having occupied the chairmanship, and was also a director of the Wide Bay Dairy Company for many years, while also being a prominent mason and member of the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society. Later in his life, Mr. Parkyn acquired some of the best agricultural land in the Mary Valley. Shortly after his arrival in Gympie he married Miss Shields, the daughter of one of the earliest councillors in Gympie, and in 1905, accompanied by his wife and one son, Mr. Parkyn paid a visit to England. Deceased is survived by his widow and nine children:—Misses M. A. and V. Parkyn, Mrs. R. J. Smerdon, Mrs. G. Carr, Mrs. Oswald, Mrs. H. J. Walker, Mrs. H. Chippendale, and Messrs. R. Parkyn (Eudlo), and J. T. Parkyn (Tewantin). The funeral moved from the Methodist Church, after a special service, to the Gympie cemetery.

Contributed by Bob Bolitho