ANZCC note: The information below may relate to two different persons, one of whom was in Brisbane in the mid-1910s.

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Irish death record, https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1924/05035/4377567.pdf: "Superintendent Registrar's District Rathdown, Registrar's District Dundrum. 1924. Deaths Registered in the District of Dundrum in the Union of Rathdown in the County of Dublin. No. 300. On 19 April 1924 at Sweetmount House, Dundrum, death of Rev John Robinson, male, bachelor, age 73 years, Catholic Clergyman; cause of death: Gastric Carcinoma, 9 months, certified; informant: Mary Byrne, niece, present at death, of Sweetmount House, Dundrum; 5 May 1924; J. Sutton, Assistant Registrar."

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Some Recent deaths, Freeman's Journal, Dublin, 21 April 1924, p 4:

Rev. John Robinson, M.A., has died at Sweetmount House, Dundrum.

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Death of Father Robinson, North West Champion, Moree, 26 June 1924, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article178033217:

Word was received yesterday morning by the Rev. Father Lloyd to the effect that the Rev. Father Robinson had died in Ireland. The deceased had been in America for many years, and at the time of his death was on a visit to his people in Ireland. The late Father Robinson was parish priest in Moree about 20 years ago.

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Walcha, The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser, 22 July 1924, p 7, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192003763:

It is reported that Father John Robinson, who was in Walcha for many years, died recently.

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T.W. Campbell, The Priests of the Diocese of Armidale: A Necrology, Braddon ACT, 2005:
Robinson, John

Date and place of birth unknown. Place of education unknown. Place of study unknown. Date and place of ordination unknown. It appears he may have come to the Sydney Archdiocese in 1891 (assigned to St Benedict's, Broadway), then moved to Dubbo in the Bathurst diocese in 1893. His first appointment in the Armidale diocese appears to have been at Walcha in late 1894, to replace Joseph Laughlin Ahearn who had been appointed to Walcha to start it as a parish. While in Walcha he became caught up in a dispute during 1895 with the Anglican bishop of Armidale and Grafton over the validity of Anglican orders, at a time before Pope Leo XIII had issued the Apostolic Letter Apostolicae Curae. He remained in Walcha for five years until transferred to Wee Waa in September 1900 to replace Francis O'Donohue. During his time in Wee Waa the parish was expanded to take responsibility for Walgett and Collarenebri when those two centres were added to the Armidale diocese from Bathurst diocese. In March 1904 he transferred to Moree to replace John J O'Connor. While in Moree he organised a large band festival and sports events to raise funds for a Young Men's Hall that was erected, and was used for school purposes. Large cash outlays and cash prizes made the whole effort financially risky. He resigned from the Moree parish in late 1905 and went to the United States of America. His movements in the USA are unknown. Date and place of death unknown [1924). Place of burial unknown.
(Sources: Foley, FJ 28 Sep 1895 p 19, 27 Aug 1898 p 15, 27 Dec 1902 p 9, 12 Mar 1904 p 38, 26 Nov 1904 p 16, MDHC A-Z R38).

(Reproduced by permission of Tom Campbell.)

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, p 175:
Fr John Robinson

Little is known about this priest who served in the Archdiocese between 1915 and 1917.

Fr Robinson was the curate in the parish of Wee Waa in the diocese of Armidale from 1894. When the parish priest, Fr Francis O'Donohue, died on 29 July 1900 Fr Robinson succeeded him as parish priest.

On 9 February 1902 Fr Robinson officiated at the marriage of a Mr J P Ryan to Miss Susan Maria O'Connell in the Catholic Church at Wee Waa. The report says that the bride had spent the last eight years looking after Fr Robinson's domestic interests, as the presbytery housekeeper.(1)

In February 1904 Fr Robinson was transferred from Wee Waa to Moree. The Sydney Catholic Freeman's Journal carried an extensive report of a farewell on 24 February. Parishioners from each of the four major Mass centres in the parish, Wee Waa, Bulyeroi, Collarenebri and Walgett gave an address. These addresses were accompanied by a purse of 100 sovereigns.(2)

The addresses besides showing a glowing admiration for the departing pastor also reveal some interesting information about his ancestors:

The following family history of the rev gentleman will be read with interest: - The tomb of the family dates back to the early part of the 16th century. On the stab it is recorded that John McRobin – that was the name by which the family was then known – married Miss Bermingham of the Castle Carrick, and died in 1529. His grandson Daniel is inscribed. His three daughters were the mothers, respectively of three Bishops, viz The Most Rev Dr Hussey, formerly President of Maynooth, and afterwards Bishop Waterford; The Most Rev Dr Gogarty, and the Most Rev Dr Curtis, who went to Spain. This is the only record of three sisters becoming the mothers of three Bishops.(3)

I have no information of Fr Robinson's time in Moree. He appears to have left by 1906 when Fr Francis Lloyd became the parish priest. Fr Lloyd left in 1925 owing to poor health but later was ministering in the Archdiocese of Sydney as Monsignor Lloyd, dying in 1963.

Fr Denis O'Keeffe in a history of Beaudesert parish, published in the local newspaper in 1933, relates that Fr Robinson was in Beaudesert in 1915 but leaving in April 1915.(4) Pugh's Almanac lists Fr Robinson in Brisbane in 1915 and lists him at Beaudesert in 1916 and 1917.(5)

The Prayer-Calendar of Deceased Priests & Deacons in Australia 1788-2009, first drawn up by the late Fr W T Southerwood, records that Fr John Robinson died in 1924. The day and place of death were not recorded.

Footnotes
1. Catholic Press, Sydney, 1 Mar 1902, p. 26.
2. RBA, Inflation Calculator. This equates to a value of over $15,000 in 2019.
3. Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 12 Mar 1904, p. 40.
4. Denis M O'Keeffe, Beaudesert Times, Catholic History of the Logan and Albert, 6 Oct 1933, p. 2.
5. Pugh's Almanac, 1915 to 1917.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.