Peter MCKENNA
Born 1856 in Penshurst, Victoria, Aistralia [4: 5-Oct-1929]
Son of James and Mary MCKENNA [15]
He shifted to Western Australia in 1896, prospected in Cue and Wiluna, and was then a publican in Wiluna [4: 5-Oct-1929]
Farmer in Dudawa, East Arrino 1907-1929 [6] [19]
George R. WATSON, with whom he'd prospected in partnership with in Wiluna, was a farmer in nearby Three Springs [4: 5-Oct-1929]
He was said to have always been willing to give his time and aid to assist any public movement in Arrino [9: 24-Mar-1911]
Member of the Arrino Cricket Club in 1907-08 [31: 27-Nov-1907]
Foundation Committee Member of the Three Springs Race Club in 1910 and 1911 [9: 23-Dec-1910]
Steward at the Three Springs Race Club's Inaugural Race Meeting held in Three Springs on Thursday 9 March 1911 [9: 10-Feb-1911]
Made the presentation at the farewell to William and Florence TIMMS at the Arrino railway station on 17 March 1911 [9: 24-Mar-1911]
Member of the Arrino & Dudawa Progress Association in 1911 [31: 9-Aug-1911]
Grew over 500 acres of crop on his farm in Dudawa in 1914 [10: 19-Jun-1914]
He got caught in a storm, which fused wires and shattered posts, while driving in his horse and sulky in November 1914 [10: 27-Nov-1914]
Attended the Saint Patrick's Day Sports Meeting held at the recreation ground in Three Springs on 17 March 1915 [10: 26-Mar-1915]
His horse Pincher came 2nd in the Hurry Scurry race at the Sports Meeting held in Arrino on Easter Monday in 1915 [10: 9-Apr-1915]
He spent a few days staying in the "little village" of Three Springs during April 1915 [10: 23-Apr-1915]
Member of the Three Springs Saint Patrick's Day Committee 1916-1919 - was Chairman in 1917 and Vice President in 1920 [124]
He was one of four men who drew up the program for the Saint Patrick's Day Sports Meeting in Three Springs in 1916 and 1918 [124]
Donated £5 in 1916, £3/3/- in 1918, £5 in 1919 and £1/1/- in 1920 to the Three Springs Saint Patrick's Day Committee [124]
Handicapper of the horse races at the Sports Meeting held in Carnamah on Thursday 4 May 1916 [10: 16-May-1916]
Handicapper of the races at the Saint Patrick's Day Sports Meetings in Three Springs in 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920 [10: 22-Mar-1918] [124]
Donated a sheep for the luncheon of the Saint Patrick's Day Picnic Races in Three Springs on Wednesday 17 March 1920 [124]
Entrant in the "Lazy Man Competition" held in Three Springs in 1918 to raise funds for the Red Cross Society [10: 10-May-1918]
Purchased two bags of oats at the Basket Social & Dance in Three Springs in aid of Church funds on 10 February 1919 [9: 21-Feb-1919]
Steward of the Three Springs Race Club's Race Meeting held in Three Springs on Thursday 6 March 1919 [10: 31-Jan-1919]
Steward of the Carnamah Race Club's Picnic Race Meeting held in Carnamah on Thursday 27 March 1919 [9: 21-Feb-1919]
His and Ernest KLOPPER's horses tied for 1st place for the High Jump at the Three Springs Day on 25 September 1919 [10: 3-Oct-1919]
Donated a sheep for the Luncheon Booth at the Picnic Race Meeting in Three Springs on Saint Patrick's Day 17 March 1920 [124]
Handicapper at the Picnic Race Meetings in Three Springs on Saint Patrick's Day from 1920 to 1925 [9: 5-Mar-1920, 11-Mar-1921] [124]
Won 1st prize for High Jump in the ring events at the Three Springs Day held on Thursday 23 September 1920 [10: 15-Oct-1920]
His horse Pincher tied for first in the 11 stone Hunters at the Three Springs Day held on Thursday 28 September 1922 [9: 20-Oct-1922]
The exciting finishes at the Picnic Race Meeting in Three Springs in 1923 "proved the wisdom of his handicapping" [9: 13-Apr-1923]
Vice President of the Picnic Race Meeting held in Three Springs on Saint Patrick's Day Saturday 17 March 1928 [124]
He was among the 400 people who attended the Matrons and Benedicts Ball held in Three Springs on 31 August 1928 [4: 8-Sep-1928]
Vice President and Handicapper of the Three Springs Race Club in 1929 [4: 23-Feb-1929]
Passed away at the age of 72 years North Midlands District Hospital in Three Springs [24]
Died 1 October 1929; buried at Three Springs General Cemetery in Three Springs (Roman Catholic, Plot 6) [24] [39: 7-Oct-1929
In his will written on 15 June 1929 he bequeathed all of his property to his nephews Eric J. MCKENNA and George L. MCKENNA [545]
From The Irwin Index newspaper, Saturday 5 October 1929:
Obituary - Death of Mr P. McKenna
An old and respected resident of Arrino, in the person of Mr P. McKenna, passed away on October 1 at the North Midlands District Hospital, Three Springs, after a long illness.The late Mr McKenna was born at Penshurst, Victoria, in 1856. From 1875 he was engaged in road contracting throughout Victoria, coming to Western Australia in 1896. He was one of the original prospectors of Cue and later went to Wiluna, where he was in partnership with the late Mr G. Watson, of Three Springs. Afterwards Mr McKenna became a publican at Wiluna. He came to Arrino in 1907 and engaged in farming, in which pursuit he was interested at the time of his death. He was keenly interested in horses, especially of the heavier breeds. Mr McKenna never married and his only relatives are Mr Eric McKenna of Yalgoo, nephew, Mr George McKenna, nephew, and Mesdames Wallace and Beale, nieces.
The funeral took place on October 2. Mass was said at the Roman Catholic Church, Three Springs at 7 a.m. There was a large and representative gathering at the graveside at 11 a.m., the burial service being conducted by the Rev. Father M. Lynch. The chief mourners were Mr Eric McKenna, nephew, and Mrs Watson, widow of Mr McKenna's late partner. Among chose present were Messrs Hogan, Woods, J. Clune, Brown (Moora), Dr Mayrhofer, Messrs O. L. Evans, C. E. McDonald, I. Wallace, Mr
and Mrs E. J. Duffy, Messrs C. Kroschel, R. A. Caldow, E. K. Byrne, Mr and Mrs C. F. Thomas, Miss N. Thomas, Messrs O. S. Sowerby, R. Harris C. Dodd, H. P. Hart, A. Smith (Arrino), Mr and Mrs O'Shannessy, Messrs W. D. S. Smith, Howard, Smith, F. Maley, T. J. Berrigan, P. Lynch, J. Lynch, Mr and Mrs E. Sheahan, Messrs E. J. Burge, Hicks Bros., R. Black, N. Stokes, R. Martin, R. Barnhart, H. J. W. Sweetman, W. B. Sweetman, Turner Bros., A. Mortimer, L. L. Turnley, Mr and Mrs McKenzie, Mrs P. J. Lynch, Mrs J. C. Hunt, Messrs M. Quain, D. Todd."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Peter Mckenna' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 13 August 2026 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/peter-mckenna [reference list] |
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