Joseph Nunan

Joseph Denis Nunan (some say Noonan) (February 1842 – 18 May 1885) was an Irish born patriot and builder transported to Fremantle for wounding a policeman.

Nunan was born in Rathcormac, a small town in north County Cork where he learnt the building trade from his father Denis Noonan.

He escaped on the return railway trip to Dublin by jumping through the window of a train reputedly travelling 64 or 80 kilometres per hour (40 or 50 mph) leaving behind his two escorts.

[4] During the voyage Nunan wrote humorously for the ship's newspaper (The Wild Goose) about his escape from the train and he also organised social events for his fellow convicts.

[1] He undertook to superintend construction of the new convent building in Victoria Square for the Sisters of Mercy,[6] which had been designed by Richard Roach Jewell.

[7] Nunan was already known as an expert in design and he had been approached by Father Patrick Gibney who was the new resident priest in York to build a new larger church for his growing congregation.

[1] Nunan continued to be a Fenian as he and Brophy had served as treasurers for funds gathered from Irish sympathisers in Australia.