KEENAN FAMILY  in Australia

John (Jack) Keenan (1873 - 1957)

Last updated 8 November 2024

Children:

John Robert Keenan (b. 1898)

Clarence Donald Keenan (b. 1900)

William Stanley Keenan (b.1904)

James Stewart/Stuart Keenan 1907 - 1979

Dorothy Mary Keenan (1910 - 2008)

Beryl Jane Presland (nee Keenan) (1914 - 1961) (Married in 1936 to Charles William Presland (1914 - 1976))   See NOTE 1 at end of page.

Jock Henry Keenan (b. 1916) (Married Doris)

"John, the third son of Henry and Ann, also returned to the old friends of the family, the Mortons, and made Emma Morton his wife.  Although they subsequently moved about the country fairly extensively, John had chosen the more stable profession of a carpenter as his means of livelihood, and his moves from one district to another were always to enable him to take part in big new development works.  Thus he returned to N.S.W. after several years in Victoria, when the Murrumbidgee irrigation project was being established.  From Leeton he later went to the then infant Federal Capital of Canberra and spent many years on constructional work there.  The family, in due course, moved to the Sydney area and finally settled at Engadine, where its members played a very prominent part in the development of that locality.  The family of John and Emma Keenan comprises five sons, Robert, Clarence, William, James and Jock, all but William, who is in Queensland, living in the Engadine district, and two daughters, Dorothy (Mrs. H. J. Lovering) and Beryl (Mrs. Presland).  Although long since retired from active participation, John still takes a great interest in anything relating to the building trade and, despite the fact that the burden of the years is startling to leave its mark on his health, he has recently patented and constructed a machine, which is proving a great success, for the making of concrete bricks in position on the wall of the building.  Mr. and Mrs Keenan have 16 grandchildren (members of the fourth generation)."  Extract from1949 newspaper article by George Keenan.

Letter:

1.   Letter from John (Jack) Keenan of Bombowlee (near Tumut, NSW) on 21 November 1900.
2.   Letter from John (Jack) Keenan (of Jumbunna, Vic) to Stewart Keenan (of WA) on 13/5/1905.

As a result of efforts by his daughter, Dorothy, and grandchildren (Anita Arnold, Robert Keenan, etc.) a park in Engadine (Sydney) has been named in honour of John Keenan.  The following maps show where it is located: