Harold Garfield Behan CMG MBE (1901 - 1979)

Born 22 Feb 1901 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

Husband of Frances Kathleen (Hockings) Behan — married 25 Jun 1928 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Husband of Phyllis Ethel Estelle (Turner) Behan — married 8 Jun 1935 (to before 1942) in Queensland, Australia

Husband of Kathleen Bridget (Costello) Behan — married 16 Sep 1942 in Queensland, Australia

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Biography

Harold Behan CMG MBE is Notable.

Sir Harold 'Paddy' Behan CMG OBE was an Australian pastoralist and local government leader.

Harold Behan CMG MBE was born in Queensland, Australia

Harold Garfield 'Paddy' Behan was born on 22nd February 1901 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. He was the eldest child of Thomas Behan, an Irish-born surveyor, and Mary Landy. ^[1] Brought up on Garfield Station, Jericho, he bore permanent scars from being severely burnt at the age of 12. He was educated at Nudgee College, Brisbane, and Brisbane Grammar School.

When his father retired from the Jericho Shire Council in 1922, its members appointed 'Paddy' to the vacancy. In 1926 the Behans moved to Bilbah Downs, a property in the neighbouring shire of Isisford. Within weeks Paddy became a local councillor and continued to belong to the Isisford Shire Council (except for a short interval in 1936) for fifty-three years; in 1951-79 he was its chairman. He was also a member (1926-79) of the Blackall hospitals board.

Paddy married Frances Hockings, a nurse, on 25th June 1928 in Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Nundah, Queensland. ^[2] The couple had a son and a daughter, however, Frances passed away on 25th February 1932. ^[3]

Paddy married a second time, to Phyllis Turner, also a nurse, on 8th June 1935 in the sacristy of St Patrick's Church, Blackall, Queensland. ^[4] The couple had a daughter.

A delegate to the annual conference of the Local Government Association of Queensland, in the mid-1930s Paddy played an important role in forming the Western Queensland Local Government Association.

Widowed once more, Paddy married one more time, to Kathleen Costello, another nurse, on 16th September 1942 in St Mary's Church, Ipswich, Queensland. ^[5] They had a further son and two daughters.

In the New Year Honours 1958 Paddy was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) as President of the Queensland Government Association. ^[6]

He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1967 'in recognition of service to local government'. ^[7]

As a pastoralist Paddy was active in pastoral circles and constantly involved with the wool industry. He was a member of the executive and president (1962-68) of the Central and Northern Graziers' Association. Combined with his role in the LGAQ, his position as a councillor (from 1944) of the United Graziers' Association of Queensland strengthened his efforts to secure State legislation for the control of animal and vegetable pests on rural lands. When the Queensland government set up a co-ordinating board in 1944, he was the local government representative and remained on it until 1975. As a member (1964) of the Australian Wool Industry Conference, Paddy was the graziers' representative on the Queensland Employers' Federation from 1965.

In the Queens Birthday Honours 1977 he was created Knight Bachelor 'in recognition of service to local government'. ^[8]

Aged 78 years, he passed away on 7th August 1979 in Brisbane and was buried in Pinaroo lawn cemetery, Aspley. ^[9] He was survived by his wife, their son and two daughters, by the son and daughter of his first marriage and by the daughter of his second.

Sources

1. ↑ Queensland Birth Index #1901/C/10075
2. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1928/B/3835
3. ↑ Queensland Death Index #1932/B/16632
4. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1935/C/1254
5. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1942/C/5031
6. ↑ Australian Honours: MBE; accessed 8 Mar 2024
7. ↑ Australian Honours: CMG; accessed 8 Mar 2024
8. ↑ Australian Honours: Knight Bachelor; accessed 8 Mar 2024
9. ↑ Queensland Death Index #1979/B/98220