Alice, Thomas and Eileen Kennedy

August is Family History Month in Australia, and it's a great time for people to explore their family stories, trace ancestors, and preserve local and community history.

Thomas Richard Kennedy was born on Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) in 1887, where his father, Thomas Cornelius Kennedy, was stationed as a guard. He grew up during a period when the island was an important government outpost and penal establishment.

In 1909, Thomas married Alice Costello. The couple later welcomed 6 children and their daughter, Eileen Kennedy, was born in 1912. They lived in Osborne Park and Yokine. Two of their children resided in Osborne Park most of their lives.

Thomas worked as a boilermaker's assistant, a skilled industrial occupation that supported Western Australia's growing transport and manufacturing industries in the early twentieth century. In addition to his employment, he was actively involved in community service as a volunteer with the St John Ambulance Brigade, contributing his time to first aid and emergency assistance.

His life reflects the experiences of many working-class Western Australians of the era, combining family responsibilities, industrial employment, and voluntary service to the community.

For more information, please follow the link to City of Stirling Art and History Collection. City of Stirling