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KEENAN FAMILY in Australia

NEWS ABOUT ADDITIONS TO THIS WEBSITE *

AND ITEMS OF INTEREST APPEARING ELSEWHERE

*Not all changes to the site are listed here
  • 26/7/2024 - Added copies of depositions by Wilf Keenan, John Harrap, John Smith and Allan Cumpston  at the Coronial inquiry held by L E Quarmby into the suicide death in Batlow in February 1948 of Florence Lillico Keenan (nee Skien), mother of Wilf Keenan.
  • 14/5/2024 - On this day I visited the Gladesville Mental Hospital, NSW, and the Gladesville Hospital Cemetery which is where Henry John Keenan (1842 - 1889) is buried. He died at the age of 43 and spent his final 3 years and 9 months in the "hospital."  The cemetery was the final resting place for many of the patients of Gladesville Hospital (once known as Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum). There are believed to be over 1,200 burials in this cemetery, almost all lying in unmarked graves. Henry was one of those buried in an unmarked grave. Read more about the hospital HERE.
  • 18/3/2022 - Email and photo received from Shellie Cummings of Western Australia concerning the Keenans of Western Australia: "Hello Peter .... I am a descendant of Stewart and Isabella Keenan(Western Australia). I write again to share a couple of items. Firstly a photo found in a family trunk. The trunk mainly contains Keenan family papers etc and belonged to Ray Keenan, now in the custody of his son Stewart. I wondered if you could share the image to see if anyone can identify the people. It’s a beautiful photo. Secondly I have published 2 books. Eliza Keenan daughter of Stewart and Isabella Keenan kept diaries. I have search and found her diaries from 1884 to 1888 and have copied each page, transcribed and had printed together with a synopsis of her life. While looking for her diaries I learnt that her husband James William Armstrong had also kept diaries 1923 to 1928. He died 15 Oct 1928. Isabella’s diaries give a unique insight to the lives of Stewart and Isabella Keenan and their family in the early years in Western Australia. I appreciate that this is only relevant to Western Australian branch of the family but maybe there is a descendant I didn’t find, that might find your website. I have attached an image of the book covers." This is the link to the above.  The information is near the bottom of the page.
  • 17/9/2018 - Added transcripts of letters written in 1913 and 1914 by Miss Ivy Keenan of Batlow, NSW, to her great aunt Miss Elizabeth Kerr (nee Gamble) of Lislea, Northern Ireland. Ivy's grandmother - Nancy Jane Keenan (nee Gamble) - and Elizabeth Kerr (nee Gamble) were sisters.  The letters contain important family information and insights into those times.
  • 6/2/2017 - The Gordon's of Lislea, Northern Island, were friends and neighbours of the Glenone Keenans and Gambles. This Facebook post appeared on Photo's of Portglenone on 25 January 2017:
    "P.O.P was sad to hear of the death today of John Gordon from, 162 Moneygran Road, Portglenone. John was from the well known Gordon family from the town land of Lislea, he was a digger driver and had worked all over Ireland & the British Isles. I knew John for many years from my days around Weir's bar till working for his late sister Elma, he was full of knowledge and enjoyed the crack. And he had a love for the vintage tractors and along with his sons had restored a couple and would have been seen at some of the local vintage rallies. I would like to pass on my sincere sympathies to his wife Roberta,sons Jason & Brian, daughter Karen, Grandchild Evanna, sisters Jean, Frances, Eileen, Doreen and the whole Gordon family at this sad time. May he Rest in Peace. The family have asked P.O.P to share the Family Notice. William John Gordon - GORDON 24th January 2017, peacefully at Causeway Hospital, William John, late of 162 Moneygran Road, Portglenone. Dearly-loved Husband of Roberta and devoted father of Jason, Karen and Brian, Father-in-law of Michelle and Grainne and grandfather of Evanna and The late Jack. - Funeral from his late home on Friday at 12 noon to First Presbyterian Church, Portglenone for service at 1.30 p.m. followed by interment in Kilrea New Cemetery. - Family flowers only, please. Donations in lieu, if desired, for Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, c/o Thompson Caldwell, Caldwell's Funeral Services, 42 Hiltonstown Road, Portglenone BT44 8EQ. (Please make Cheques payable to the Hospice). - Will be lovingly remembered by his Sorrowing wife, daughter, sons. daughters-in-law, sisters Jean, Frances, Eileen, Doreen and family circle."
  • 30/4/2016 - Added news item from a Tumut and Batlow newspaper in February 1948 about the suicide death of Florence Lillico Keenan (nee Skien); and obituary appearing in a Tumut and Batlow newspaper on the death in  June 1942 of James Keenan b.1864.
  • 29/3/2014 - Added more information about the life of Nancy/Ann Jane Keenan (nee Gamble), later known as "Granny" Hopson.  See bottom of the page for the 1949 Article on the Keenans: Pioneer Family of Batlow.
  • 18/2/2014 - Added family trees for David Keenan (b.1878) and his son, James Malcolm Keenan (b.1905) of the USA.
  • 14/12/2012 - Added more correspondence from John Kerr of Northern Ireland about the Gamble family.  Also, emails from Kay Hourighan about Aaron Gamble and family of Woodford, near Warnambool.
  • 13/12/2012 - Added page on Neville Stuart Keenan of Batlow and his family.
  • 20/11/2012 - Added a page about the Gladesville Hospital.
  • 18/11/2012 - Added extract of Gladesville hospital Burial Register received from Bevan Stone.  Shows when and where Henry John Keenan (1842 -1889) was buried.
  • 25/10/2012 - Correspondence received from John Kerr of Northern Ireland.  John's grandmother, Elizabeth Gamble of Lislea, was the sister of Nancy Jane Keenan (nee Gamble), who married Henry Keenan and came to Australia in 1864.
  • 12/10/2012 - Email address for contact with the author of this site changed.  Is now keenan.pj@gmail.com
  • 1/8/2012 - Added maps showing the location of John Keenan Park in Engadine (Sydney) and the location of Engadine in relation to Sydney.  See John Keenan b.1873.
  • 31/7/2012 - Genealogical information about Kenneth John Keenan of Engadine (Sydney) has been entered on this site.  It was supplied by his brother, Robert Keenan.  Ken turns 80 on 20 August 2012.

  •   17/4/2012 --- Link to BBC Voices recording in Portglenone made 19/1/2005 - "Conversations in Portglenone about accent, dialect and attitudes to language".  Added to my information about Portglenone.
  •   18/3/2012 --- Family trees of Karen Topping (nee Keenan) of Scotland added and amended.

  •   17/2/2012 --- Found and added advertisement from Belfast newspaper in December 1863 regarding the departure of the ship "Prince Consort" from London to Queensland.
  •   9/12/2011  --- Page added for Des Keenan of Batlow.  Photo of two of his children, Rachell Nofz and Mathew Keenan.
  •   15/9/2011 --- With the help of Sheila Johnston, a relative in Northern Ireland, I have been able to determine the location of the old Keenan (now gone) in Northern Ireland.  It was located at  59 Clady Road, Glenone, County Derry, and is now a bungalow at the rear of the house there.  For more information click HERE.
  •   15/5/2011 --- There have been several minor changes in the past 6 months.  But keep an eye out for changes to and expansion of some family trees following information supplied by Karen Topping (nee Keenan) of Largs, Scotland, whom I met in Melbourne on 12 May 2011.  See photo of Karen.
  •   22/12/2010  --- Added a 4,000 word extract from a book entitled "I shook the family tree: The story of an adopted boy", by the late Edward (Ray) Keenan of Western Australia.
  •   10/7/2010 --- Added more pages from Edward Keenan's history book on the Keenan's in Western Australia who came from Glenone in Northern Ireland.  Chapter 3 is new.
  •   16/6/2010 ---  The Bloody Sunday report  into the events in Londonderry on 30 January 1972 has been released.  A copy of the BBC News' summary will be found HERE.
  •   25/4/2010 --- More old letters, from the collection by Edward Keenan (WA), have been added to the relevant pages.
  •   24/4/2010 --- More old letters, from the collection by Edward Keenan (WA), have been added to the relevant pages.

  •   8/3/2010 --- Added a new section called "Videos".  Here you will find links to "You Tube" videos that may be of interest, including extracts from the videotape we took on our visit to Northern Ireland in 2002.
  •   1/3/2010 --- For those interested in people in the area of Northern Ireland where Henry and Ann Keenan once lived, I have added a link to a fascinating website:  Maghera and District Genealogy and History.  Includes material on Magherafelt.
  •   23/2/2010 --- Family trees for the children of Geoff and Rosemary Keenan have been added and expanded.  Click HERE.
  •   26/1/2010 --- The family tree of James Keenan and Maria Keenan (nee Hastings) of Northern Ireland has been updated with some notes from Sheila Johnson.
  •   7/9/2009 --- Added more text of Edward Keenan's book on the Western Australian Keenans.  Now divided into Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
  •   12/6/2009 --- Results of my enquiry to the Church of Ireland in Portglenone regarding the burial of Henry John and James Keenan.  Unfortunately "the early Portglenone registers, including baptisms to 1873; marriages to 1845 and burials to 1871 were all destroyed in the fire at the Public Records Office of Ireland in 1922".
  •   4/6/2009 --- More information about Nancy Jane Keenan (nee Gamble) (b.1844) inserted, including church records from, and photographs of, the First Presbyterian Church in Kilrea where Nancy was baptised and married, and where her parents were married.
  •   2/5/2009 --- Correspondence with Shellie Cummings of Western Australia, who is a descendant of Stewart and Isabella Keenan of Western Australia through their daughter Eliza who married James Armstrong.  She has some information about the parents of Stewart Keenan (brother of Henry Keenan).
  •   1/3/2009 --- Added email from June Reid of New Zealand, great great granddaughter of James Keenan and Maria Keenan (nee Hastings).
  •   17/2/2009 --- More photographs added, of Anita Arnold, Robert and Lyn Keenan, Ken Langford and Peter Keenan.
  •   10/2/2009 --- More information about my side of the family, my children and the children and grandchildren of my brother, Geoff Keenan, and my sister, Barbara Crosby.
  •   20/11/2008 --- Correspondence from Phillip Boyle added to site.
  •  14/11/2008 --- List of other relevant websites has been reorganised for ease of use and expanded.
  •   7/11/2008 --- Today I received news from Anita Arnold that her mother, Dorothy Mary Lovering (nee Keenan), passed away on 8 October 2008.  At 98 years of age Dorothy was the last of the second generation of the Keenan family. A copy of the brochure prepared for her funeral will be put on this site shortly.
  •   20/10/2008 --- Added more information about Batlow, including many photographs.
  •   6/10/2008 --- Another link has been put on my Useful Links page.  This is to a site being constructed by John Stephenson and concerns land ownership and families of the Blowering Valley area.  It will be of interest to people studying the Tumut and Blowering district.
  •   1/10/2008 --- The Guest Book facility has been reinstated after finding (I hope) a way to prevent automatic spam being received.  Once again visitors can leave or see comments and messages here.
  •   26/9/2008 --- More Australian slang words added.  See especially John O'Grady's definition/description of 'Bastard'.
  •  25/9/2008 --- Because of the nuisance caused by a spammer, the Guest Book facility has had to be suspended.  All entries in the book have been copied to the Correspondence page.
  •   19/8/2008 --- Anne and Terry Waghorn have supplied photographs of the old Keenan house (Glenbourne) at Margaret River, Western Australia.  The photos were taken between 8 - 12 August 2008. I have put copies of the photos on the page devoted to the West Australian Keenans, and a copy of Anne's email on the correspondence page.
  •   23/7/2008 --- Want to search this site?  It is now possible to search for information on this website by going to the special search page where there is a text search facility.  The simple query language is explained on the page.
  •   21/7/2008 --- The Brian Keenan photo gallery (see 22/6/2008) has been expanded by adding names to all the photos and descriptions to some of them.  More descriptions will be added ASAP.
  •   11/7/2008 --- In the Guest Book is a request from a visitor seeking information about a William Keenan or MacKinnon.  A photograph is available.
  •   13/6/2008 --- A Guest Book has been added to the site.  Visitors can leave or see comments and messages here.
  •   9/6/2008 --- Email from Therese Alting, who is doing research into Huntington's Chorea.  I will shortly be sending her details of my discoveries at the Archives Authority of NSW regarding Henry John Keenan (b.1842).

  •  6/6/2008 --- Brian Keenan of Queanbeyan, New South Wales, has compiled and sent me a CD containing Keenan family photographs, mainly people from his clan, such as Aaron Keenan (b.1865), George Aaron Robert Keenan (b.1894), Donald George Keenan (b.1924), and Brian's own family.  Before making the CD Brian sent copies of some of the photographs to Anita Arnold for her comments on the identity of the persons depicted.  I will be putting some of these photographs on this website ASAP.

  • 16/5/2008 --- Added a page entitled Opinion Pieces, for the publication of links to articles from my favourite writers. First one is Andrew Bolt.
  • 11/5/2008  -- Added photo of Robert Keenan, uncle of Jack Harkins of Scotland (who supplied the photo).  Robert was born in about 1917 and died in about 1940 when the HMS Hood was sunk In WW2 by the Bismark.  Robert was brother of May Keenan of Innisrush and Nancy Jane Harkins (nee Keenan).  See also news item on 12/4/2008, below.
  • 28/4/2008  --- Added more information supplied by Royce Keenan regarding the family of Aaron Keenan (b.1865).
  • 25/4/2008 --- Added a link to a  You Tube music video which I discovered when searching "Keenan" on the internet.  The creator is apparently a Keenan whose grew up in the Shankill Road area of West Belfast.  The song is to the tune of John Denver's "Country Road". Click HERE. NOTE: This video was taken off You Tube on about 27/4/2008.
  • 20/4/2008 --- Added more correspondence from overseas: an inquiry about the trip of the Prince Consort, and an inquiry from John Keenan of Scotland about James and Maria Keenan.  Click HERE.
  • 17/4/2008 --- Added a page for Royce Aaron Keenan (b.1937) following information about his children.  Also expanded on entry for Roy Francis Gamble Keenan (b.1900).
  • 12/4/2008 --- Received and added information to the website about Roy Francis Gamble Keenan (b.1900).  Information supplied by his son, Royce Aaron Keenan (b.1937).  More information is to come.
  • 26/3/2008 --- I have received photographs from Jack Harkins, a Keenan cousin from Scotland.  The first one put on this site is of Jack and his wife, Mary, on holidays.  In the other photo - from the 1970's - is Jack's mother, Nancy Jane Harkins (nee Keenan), her sister, May Keenan (who now lives in Innishrush, Northern Ireland) and his grandmother, Agnes.  This photo will be posted on the site shortly.
  • 23/3/2008 --- Added sketches of Melbourne circa 1970 by artist Cedric Emanuel.  Click here.
  • 22/2/2008 --- I have added the titles and other details of 2 books on Batlow's history.  Click here.
  • 21/2/2008 --- A new page contains newspaper articles from 1884 regarding the Typhoid epidemic which hit Batlow (then known as Reedy Creek) and the family of Henry John and Nancy Jane Keenan.  Articles also refer to the burning death of one of their children and the poor state of Henry's health.  To go to this page click here.  Reference to these matters has been added as an editor's note in the relevant part of George Keenan's 1949 history article.
  • 21/2/2008 --- I have added an article about the Keenans of Bombowlee Creek, New South Wales.  It is from a publication entitled "Mundongo Public School Centenary 1883-1983", which I found in the Tumut Shire Library in 1993.  It describes the family of Aaron Keenan (b. 1865), second child of Henry John and Nancy Jane. Click here to see transcription or here to see scanned copy of article.
  • 6/2/2008 --- Received an email from Aimee Lovering, 15 year old daughter of Ronald James Lovering, and grand-daughter of Dorothy Mary Lovering (nee Keenan).  In response to her request, more information about her relatives has been added to the site [thanks to Anita Arnold (nee Lovering]).  Click here to start.
  • 31/1/2008 --- On the Home page I have added a link to an excellent genealogy site with family-tree type information about the WA and "Batlow branch" of the Keenans (by which I mean the branch in eastern Australia).
  • 30/1/2008 and 31/1/2008 --- Added some transcripts of many letters between the Keenan families in America, Western Australia, South Africa and Northern Ireland from 1873 to 1955.  Click here to see.
  • 29/1/2008 --- Added more pages of Edward (Ray) Keenan's book on the Keenan's of Western Australia.
  • 21/1/2008 --- Received a family tree from Brian Keenan, grandson of George Aaron Robert Keenan, born 1894.  This information - which covers Brian's line from the second generation Australians to the fifth  - has now been included on the website.  To go to the start, click here.
  • 15/1/2008 --- Received an email from Brian Keenan, of NSW, grandson of George Keenan, author of the 1949 article that appears on this site.  Brian may be able to supply new documents and photographs to add to this website.
  • 12/1/2008 --- Photograph of the family of John Robert Keenan (b. 1898) and Thelma Emily Keenan (nee Champion) (b.1910) has been added.  Also family photograph of Robert Keenan (b. 1943) and Lynette Keenan (nee Cole) (b. 1946).  Both supplied by Donna Keenan (nee Rosen).  Also, Robert Keenan (b. 1943) has supplied a portrait type photo of himself.  See Photographs.
  • 12/1/2008 --- Donna Keenan has supplied details of the families of John Robert Keenan (b. 1898) and Robert Keenan (b.1943). See Documents.
  • 8/1/2008 --- A couple of small family trees/charts have been added.  These show what I know about the Gamble and Keenan trees (in Northern Ireland) leading to Henry John Keenan and Nancy Jane Gamble. See Family Trees.
  • 18/12/2007 --- Today I am commencing publication of a "book" written by Edward Keenan of Perenjori, Western Australia, in 1995.  This book - which he has given the title "The Keenans of 'Glenone' - Pioneers of Western Australia, 1859 to 1969" -  tells a fascinating story and includes plenty of information, not just about the Keenans of Western Australia, but also about other branches of the tree.  It also includes transcripts of correspondence in the late 1800s and early 1900s between various Keenans, including James Keenan the one brother who remained in Northern Ireland.
  • 15/12/2007  --- Robert and Lynette Keenan of Engadine, New South Wales, have kindly sent a copy of their family tree and a photo of Robert.  All of this material has been added to the website.  Thanks very much, Robert and Lyn.
  • 16/7/2007 --- A correspondence page has been added to the site for extracts from letters and emails received.  The first item is correspondence with Rachelle Nofz (nee Keenan) of Sydney.  It includes a photograph of Rachelle and her brother, Mathew.  Their father is Des Keenan of Batlow, who is the fourth son of Neil Keenan and Edith Denson.

  • 1/1/2007 ---  Information about the ship on which Henry Keenan and Nancy Jane Keenan (nee Gamble) travelled to Australia has been added.  See "The Prince Consort".
  • 14/10/2006 --- A documents page has been added to this site.
  • 7/10/2006 --- This site has been updated.  The main addition is information about the parents and grandparents of  Henry Keenan and Nancy Jane Gamble, the Australian pioneers.
  • 29/8/2006 --- A new blog site has been set up for occasional articles and to allow comment and communications by members of the Keenan clan.  The blog name is Keenans Online and the address is http://glenone.blogster.com.
  • 4/8/2006 ---- Contact ---- Sid Trewin of Northern Ireland has contacted us regarding his mother, Mary Gamble.
  • 4/8/2006 ---- Contact ---- Stephen Turner of Derbyshire in England has contacted us regarding Keenans from Ahoghill, Northern Ireland.
  • 1/8/2006 ---- Transcript of newspaper reports in 1909 regarding the Catherall-Keenan double shooting tragedy on 1909 have been added to the site.  Go to  1909 Article #1 and 1909 Article #2 .
  • 29/6/2006 ----  Thanks to the internet, members of the Keenans of Western Australian met members of the Keenans from the Eastern States on Thursday, 29/6/2006.  This may be the first time that members of the two branches have met since they settled in Australia in the 1860s.  Go to East meets West for more information.
  • 24/6/2006 ---- The transcript of the 1949 newspaper article "Batlow Pioneers - The Keenans" has now been completed.  Go to 1949 Article