Death of Father Cleary, The Advertiser, Adelaide, 19 October 1896, p 5,http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article34562230:

Quorn, October 18.
The Rev. Father Cleary, who has been suffering from erysipelas during the last few days, died this evening. The deceased has been the Roman Catholic clergyman here for over seven years. He was highly respected by all classes and sects throughout the district, and by reason of his kindly and genial nature was much beloved by all with whom he came in contact. His illness was a very brief one, as only a week prior to his death deceased preached at Hawker. It was not till Thursday last that the gravety of the case was realised. For the last three days of his illness the deceased was unconscious.

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Death of Father Cleary, The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle, 23 October 1896, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197603876:

Quorn suffers a severe blow in the loss of the Rev. Father Cleary, who died from erysipelas, after but a week's illness, on Sunday night last. The burial service was conducted on the following day by the Rev. Father Doyle, of Port Augusta and all classes and sects were represented at the cemetery.

The deceased was born at Sheepstown County of Kilkenny, Ireland, and was 49 years of age. He began his studies at the Carmelite Monastery, Knochtopher, and completed at St. John's College, Waterford. He was ordained by Bishop Power at Waterford in 1880, and came to Australia in the same year, being located at Kapunda under Father Maher, the present Bishop of Port Augusta. From there he went to Pekina in 1882, and afterwards to Narracoorte, where he stayed two or three years. He was then transferred to Port Augusta, and when Dr. O'Reily came to Port Augusta in 1888 Father Cleary was placed in charge of Quorn, Hawker, Cradock, and the Far North. At times he visited the far interior on camel back. He worked very hard for the district, and succeeded in building churches at Hawker and Gordon and the convent at Quorn. He considerably reduced the liabilities on the Cradock and Hoskins Churches and paid a large amount off the debt on the Quorn Church. He also had a fair sum in hand towards building a church at Farina. He helped very much in lessening the debt on the Diocese under Dr. O'Reily, then Bishop of Port Augusta. His loss will be severely felt by his fellow-priests and by his people and the community at large. He was always ready to assist any deserving case, no matter of what denomination, and his good nature made him respected and beloved by all.

The late Rev. Father was dearly beloved by all classes and of all religions. There was no man, outside of religion, business, or politics, that was held in greater respect or higher regard than was Father Cleary, and his sudden demise has brought about many a sympathetic utterance in Port Augusta, such as—"He was a good sort," "He was a dear old fellow," and such like. Yet he was not so old as we took him to be, but he had worked hard all his life for his Church and for his people. He was a man—every inch of him—without a shade of humbug ; and he will be much missed, not only by the members of his own Church, but by all with whom he was acquainted—no matter of what creed or belief.

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Quorn News, The Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle, 23 October 1896, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197603861:

Friday, Oct. 23.
I regret to say that since my last the Rev. Father Cleary, of this town, has passed away. The deceased, who was very highly respected, died quite a young man, being only 49 years. He returned from his North trip on Monday, 12th inst., not feeling very well, and not till Thursday following did he seek medical aid, when Dr Pooler, with Dr Gibson, both visited him, and from the first held out no hopes of his recovery, and he died on Sunday evening, being unconscious from Friday. The cause of death was erysipelus of the face and head. The funeral, a very large one, was held on Monday last, and on Tuesday Mass was celebrated in the Church by the Bishop of Port Augusta, assisted by six clergymen, all of whom arrived by Monday evening's train.

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Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 49-50:

Cleary, Philip, Irish
Servant of the Port Augusta Diocese
He may have been a brother or relative of Robert Cleary who was in South Australia before coming to the Ballarat Diocese. All that can be relied on are the placings given in Directories: Kapunda (1881); Naracoorte (1887); Quorn (1892); Quorn (1897); Naracoorte (1899); Port Augusta (1902); Pekina (1904). Death possibly occurred at Quorn (the death date given is 19 August 1906), and certainly he is buried there.
(Footprints, Vol. 2, No. 6)
Ref.: MDHC File, Torquay, per Late Dean Walsh, Renmark, S.A.
ANZCC note: The last three postings recorded here (Naracoorte, Port Augusta and Pekina) postdate the death of Fr Philip Cleary of Quorn, and probably refer to Fr Patrick Cleary, who left ministry in Port Pirie in 1904.

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Fr Frank Cresp, Good and Faithful Servants: Recalling the Spirit of the Deceased Priests of the Diocese of Port Augusta and Port Pirie 1888-2008, 2008:
Cleary, Phillip

Born: 1847 in Co Kilkenny, Ireland.
Ordained: 1880.
Worked in Pekina 1882; Port Augusta 1884; Quorn (including Hawker 1884).
Died: 18/10/1896 of Typhoid Fever. Aged 49. Buried at Quorn. His belongings had to be destroyed.

(Reproduced with the approval of Sister Mary Cresp RSM)

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A Prayer-Calendar of Deceased Priests & Deacons in Australia 1788-2009, compiled by W.T. Southerwood, Sixth Edition, 2009, pp 104, 130: Philip Cleary is listed twice, erroneously as having died on 19 August 1906, probably a misreading of the date used in the second entry, 18 October 1896. Furrther, some of the appointments listed belong not to Philip Cleary but to Patrick Cleary (1869-1943).