Arriving in Canberra in 1925, Deans brought with him a strong belief in civil responsibility shaped by his earlier life in Sydney. He had worked as a schoolmaster at Concord Public School, qualified as an accountant in the public service in the Postmaster General’s office, and served three years in World War I with the 9th Australian Field Ambulance. During his time abroad, he studied systems of local government, water supply, and sanitation across Europe and Central America, but he returned home suffering from shell shock and the effects of gassing.
In 1921, after studying building theory and practice, Deans launched his first construction business. His work in New South Wales included projects for the Australian Gaslight Company, the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage, and Sydney City Council. He built engine and transformer houses along the high-pressure water line from Pott’s Hill to Waterloo.
Beyond construction, he was deeply involved in his community. He served as secretary to the Concord Parents and Citizens Association, honorary secretary for Empire Day and Armistice Day events, and as an Alderman of Concord Council. He also acted as trustee of the Australian War Trophies within the Municipality of Concord, and was appointed honorary magistrate and member of several government inquiries. He was described in Sydney’s Evening News as “always a student of municipal law, he is a man of ideas, and has the courage of his opinions.”
His business activities and community service would continue in Canberra. He recognised early the immense potential that the new city held. As the MBA’s President, and later Vice President, he championed private enterprise in shaping the city.
He said to the Canberra Times in 1928: “Personally, I have invested a great deal of money in Canberra, and, notwithstanding the setbacks which private enterprise has had, I would not be afraid to invest double the amount.”
Deans built Canberra’s first private residences, shop, and bank. He also established the city’s first scholarship for school leavers, aiming to provide students with opportunities equal to those in the States. His advocacy extended through various civic groups, including the Representation League, City League, Citizens’ League, Canberra Rotary Club, and the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand.
He was also the inaugural president of the City Area Lessees’ Association, founded in 1929, which tackled practical issues such as rates, land costs, tenant rights, and unemployment through land development. Like the MBA, the City Area Lessee’s Association maintained strong ties with government and achieved many of its aims.
Deans was an early proponent of self-governance of the Territory, and in speeches and Letters to the Editor, he called for stronger opportunities for Canberrans. He expressed dismay that it had been taking so long for the public service to completely move to Canberra, urging politicians to endorse “the policy of finishing the job, and thus make Canberra, a most profitable investment to the nation”. He encouraged them to bring their families as they worked in the capital, rather than retreating to Melbourne or Sydney each weekend or once a Parliamentary session was over.
He envisioned a future where young people could build careers without leaving home, writing: “There is no parallel for this distressing outlook in any other Australian town or city. People here are faced with the fact that if their children are to be placed in business or professional callings, they will have to leave home at the very time when they will need most the help and guidance of their parents… The only remedy for the present outlook is the encouragement of industry in Canberra.”
Deans did his bit. Aside from building operations, he had a number of other enterprises. He was chairman of directors of Seafresh Products, which provided fish to Canberra and other inland places. He was also a mortgage lender, offering loans which were more accessible than the ones under the government Commonwealth Housing Scheme. He had a business supplying hardware products to Canberra.
Despite his prominence and activity, Deans is identified by historian Jim Gibbney in Canberra 1913-1953, as “the one serious business casualty the business community suffered from the Depression”. While his business, Canberra Building and Investment Co, was rescued by government guarantee given its heavy involvement in city development, his other enterprises were less well-protected.
Due to what Deans saw as a lack of government investment in building contracts during the Depression, sources for revenue dried up. In addition, early investment in Canberra included the “speculative” purchase of land, which meant that when developments were halted because of economic downturn, Deans stood to lose.
He continued investing through the 1930s, but faced setbacks. His attempt to convert the Mort Street cordial factory into a brewery was blocked by clergy protests, and his tender for Hotel Wellington was rejected. In 1936, Deans followed a new opportunity to serve as an industrial officer for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. He retired in 1944 and passed away in 1963 at age 70.
Though his time in Canberra was brief, John Deans helped shape its foundations. His legacy is one of civic engagement, advocacy, and a deep belief in the city’s potential. He shows how a city’s growth involves building structures alongside building community.
