Gold was discovered in the area in 1872.
A letter receiving office was opened in 1883. Mackinlay Post Office opened on 1 April 1894 and was renamed McKinlay in 1909.
The town was surveyed and allotments sold in 1888.
Mackinlay State School opened on 5 July 1897. In 1934, the spelling of the name was changed to McKinlay State School. It closed in 1953 but reopened in January 1957. It closed permanently on 5 December 1986. It was on a site bounded by Poole Street, Wylde Street, and Kirby Street. The school building remains on the site as a community facility; it faces Wylde Street ().
The offices of the Shire of McKinlay were located in the town until 1930 when they were relocated to Julia Creek.
St Mary the Virgin's Anglican Church was officially opened and dedicated by
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
John Feetham on Sunday 8 August 1937. The church building had been relocated from
Kynuna
Kynuna is an outback town in the Shire of McKinlay and a locality split between the Shire of McKinlay and the Shire of Winton in Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kynuna had a population of 52 people.
Geography
Kynuna is on the b ...
where it had been previously used as a Roman Catholic church. It has now closed in McKinlay.
Our Lady of the Way Catholic Church was in Middleton Street. It opened in 1961, after being relocated from Julia Creek, where it had been St Abigail's Catholic Church. It has now closed in McKinlay.
Demographics
In the , the locality of McKinlay had a population of 417 people.
In the , the locality of McKinlay had a population of 178 people.
In the , the locality of McKinlay had a population of 162 people.
Economy
South 32 Cannington mine, Australia's largest silver and lead mine, is west of McKinlay.
Education
There are no schools in McKinlay.
Amenities
McKinlay has a park and a small museum.
The Crafty Old School House (the former McKinlay State School) in Wylde Street is used for community events and can hired for private events.
The school's tennis courts are also available for use.

The McKinlay Shire Council operates a public library at Middleton Street; it is claimed to be Queensland's smallest public library. It also serves as the town's Visitor Information Centre.
The McKinlay branch of the
Queensland Country Women's Association
The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...
has its rooms at 22 Middleton Street.
Regular services by the
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is a united church in Australia. The church was founded on 22 June 1977 when most Wiktionary:congregation, congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church o ...
are held in the QCWA rooms. These are provided by the McKay Patrol, an aerial service of the
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is a united church in Australia. The church was founded on 22 June 1977 when most Wiktionary:congregation, congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church o ...
that operates out of
Cloncurry
Cloncurry is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. It is informally known by local people as The Curry. Cloncurry is the administrative centre of the Shire of Cloncurry.
Cloncurry is known as the ''Friendl ...
. Supported by other denominations, the McKay Patrol operates a
Cessna 182Q aeroplane to provide spiritual and practical help to people living in remote areas in the north-west of Queensland and the eastern Tablelands of the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
, an area of approximately with a population of less than 10,000 people.
Attractions

The town is best known for the Walkabout Creek Hotel, featured in the movie ''
Crocodile Dundee
''Crocodile Dundee'' is a 1986 action comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee and American actress Linda Kozlowski as reporter Sue Charlton. Inspired by the true-life ex ...
''.
The pub operates from the former McKinlay Shire Hall It has become a major tourism draw for the town and, when put up for sale in 2010, attracted worldwide interest.
References
External links
Town map of Mckinlay, 1969
{{authority control
Towns in Queensland
1888 establishments in Australia
Populated places established in 1888
Shire of Mckinlay
Localities in Queensland