Catholic Intelligence. The Jesuit Fathers, Advocate, Melbourne, 10 June 1882, p 16, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article170026143:

The Rev. Father Brennan, S.J., who arrived from Europe on the 1st inst., by the s.s. Liguria proceeded by the same vessel to Sydney. The Rev. Father Keating, S.J., who also arrived by the Liguria, left for Sydney on Wednesday. Both Fathers have come from Dublin, Father Brennan from Milltown Park College, and Father Keating from St. Francis Xavier's Church, Upper Gardiner-street.

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Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 1, 1979, p 33:

Brennan, Joseph (Sen.), SJ, Irish, Golden Jubilarian
Friend, Philosopher and Devotional Writer
b. Piersfild, Co. Westmeath 1843; ed. MH; ord. for Meath Dioc. '67. Served in Meath for 1- years and entered the Jesuits in '80. Arr. in Aus. '82. Served at Nth. Syd. with Fr. Michael Kelly SJ and in '83-4 they were the only priests in the new mission. In '85-6 J.B. taught at Xavier Coll., Kew, returning to Nth. Syd. and remaining until his death. He was the P.P. '93-'01 and was responsible for building the church "to which the older generation look back with affection" ('A Seed That Grew', by Fr. Henry Johnston SJ). Fr. Johnston goes on to record that J.B. was more than once lost in the bush in the area and that he was the virtual founder of the Propagation of the Faith Society, the Holy Childhood, and the Peoples' Eucharistic League. The guide, philosopher and friend of the poor - in fact, the friend of everyone on the North Shore - died on 9.9.1923 at the age of 80 and more. Burial: Gore Hill Cemetery.
(Footprints, Vol. 1, No. 8)
Ref.: SJ Records and as quoted above.

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Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Brennan, Joseph

Pastor; born Piersfield, Westmeath, Ireland, 24 June 1843; died Sydney, 10 September 1923, aged 80.

Joseph Brennan studied philosophy and theology at Maynooth College before he entered the Society as a priest-novice at Milltown Park, Dublin, 16 March 1880. After the noviciate he was sent to Australia to teach at Xavier College, 1882-3. He had other terms at teaching at both Riverview and Xavier, 1882-3, 1885-87, but his life work was essentially as a pastor, and at one place, St Mary's, North Sydney, 1883-85, and 1887-1923. He travelled around the vast parish chiefly on horseback. He died after an illness of a few weeks from a serious kidney complaint.

While at North Sydney he held most possible offices, including minister and superior, 1893-1902. He was spiritual father when not superior, and confessor to Jesuits in the Sydney parishes. He was moderator of the Holy Childhood from 1913 and of the Association for the Propagation of the Faith and the Eucharistic League from 1917. He was a small man but a great worker. During his term as parish priest, he built the school for girls and also additions to the church.

In his latter years, when age prevented his more active participation, he spent his time in the confessional and baptising. He was widely read in theology and history, especially the history of Ireland. Cardinal Moran, the Sydney archbishop, claimed that he enjoyed reading anything Brennan wrote. He wrote an article on the history of the parish of the North Shore in Our Australian Missions, and an article entitled 'France and Frenchmen', in The Austral Light, in June 1898.

Brennan had a kindly and lovable disposition, meek but not weak. He had a ready wit and was often the source of great joy in company. There were two subjects upon which one could never joke, anything about the Church or against Ireland.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)