The two doctors have their graves side by side, which is an unusual coincidence for a cemetery in a small outback community.

The new grave is that of Dr Manoharan Ariaratnam Benjamin, MBBS (Sydney).

The adjacent old grave is that of Robert William Hawkins, MD, who was born in Ireland, and died in Goodooga on January 24 1896, aged 34. We wonder what brought this young doctor from Ireland, to die in Goodooga 112 years ago.

Dr Manoharan Benjamin, popularly known as “Mano”, by strange coincidence was born in London, not far from his Irish colleague.

Mano was born on November 4 1958, but lived from March 1959 for the next 25 years in Sri Lanka, and his last 24 years in Australia.

He had his first provider number as a GP in Goodooga, at his father’s medical practice, and kept that provider number active, by seeing a few patients, on all his visits to Goodooga.

However, he is better remembered in this region as a doctor in Walgett, as he regularly worked as locum doctor at the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, and had numerous friends in the Walgett Aboriginal community.

The Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service was well represented at his funeral service at the Goodooga Anglican Church, with a large number of people participating in the funeral.

Mano died after prolonged illness, in his home in Castlemaine (Victoria), but Goodooga was considered the most suitable final resting-place for his body.

Ren Mike Keith, the Anglican priest from Lightning Ridge, conducted the funeral service.

Two pallbearers were from the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service and two pallbearers were from the local Goodooga Aboriginal community.

One pallbearer was a young grazier from Goodooga, representing the white community. The other pallbearer was the only brother-in-law of Mano Benjamin, and he represented Mano’s family.

Apart from residents of Goodooga, Mano’s family, and a few relations (three of whom had come from New Zealand), Mano’s friends from the Walgett AMS and the Bishop of Armidale Peter Brain was also present at the small funeral.

Mano was the only son of Victor and Saraswathy Benjamin (who have been in Goodooga since 1984), and had two sisters Lilamani (living in Queensland), and Chandramalar (living in Sydney).

Having two doctors buried side by side adds in a small way to the history of the Goodooga cemetery.

Interesting fact

There are a few Chinese graves on the far-eastern boundary of the Goodooga cemetery.

They are about 100 metres away from all other graves and the inscriptions on the headstones are in English and Chinese languages.

Some of the oldest members in Goodooga remember a small Chinese community that lived in the town, beside the Bokhara River where they cultivated vegetables and fruits.

It was referred to then as the “Chinese Gardens”.

There were more than 1000 people living in Goodooga then, and the Chinese sold vegetables to the local community.