Behan, Thomas

BEHAN, Thomas (1860–1929) was born in Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland, son of Michael Behan, a ship’s pilot on the River Shannon and later cattleman, and Mary Anne Hanrahan. With his family, Behan emigrated to Queensland as a boy in 1865, and in Ipswich attended St Mary’s primary school and the Grammar School. He was employed by Queensland Railways as a cadet in c.1880. After completing his studies in civil engineering and surveying in c1884, Behan moved to North Queensland where he undertook surveys of Cairns and of the Cairns-Herberton Railway. Behan was surveyor for both the Cairns Divisional Board and Municipal Council, and also engineer for the latter until early 1888. In partnership as Behan & Johnson and subsequently by himself, he pioneered rice production in the north. Continuing in business as Behan & Co., government surveyors, civil engineers and architects of Cairns and Croydon, the company in 1891, employed a WJ Weeks, ‘a well-known Melbourne architect’ to give particular attention to this branch of their business. With the onset of a recession this intention was apparently short-lived. In 1895, Behan was employed by the Lands Department as a government surveyor in western Queensland. He was a surveyor in Barcaldine in 1900 before becoming a grazier at “Garfield”, Jericho. After travelling overseas in 1913 Behan also acquired “Bilbah Downs” at Emmet. He was a founding member of the Jericho Shire Council. He died at “Garfield” on 8 August 1929. Behan had married Mary Beatrice Landy on 1 February 1900.