Some time ago I was contacted by Sue Hartley who is the Great Granddaughter of Thomas Ryan and his wife, Henrietta Ryan nee Kane. Their third child, Mary Daisy Ryan, known as Dais, was her grandmother.
Meekatharra Ryan” or the King of Meekatharra as Tom was known, did much to build the town amenities as he was the first Shire President and had a strong social conscience. Much of the family’s personal items were left at the station they owned, Killara, near Meekatharra and now owned by the John family. Henrietta fled the place during the war and gave away all of the albums and paintings painted by my grandmother and the family mine records.
Tom Ryan’s homes in Meekatharra.
Sue is keen to find out if the family story of Thomas being made a Papal Knight is true. Can anyone help her to locate any information on this subject?
Sue has sent me the following photographs from her family album which I am sure the readers will enjoy looking at:-
Hillview, Tom Ryans home in Meekatharra, Tom second from right Sue Hartley.
Thomas Ryan (Snr) was a fourth-year medical student in Ireland when the news of finding gold in Australia reached him. With a fellow student, he decided to follow his rainbow to his pot of gold which he thought awaited him in Australia. His parents never forgave him and he never made his fortune. However, he married, and his son, Thomas, was to succeed where he failed. Thomas was born in Stawell, Victoria in 1897. He was to be a highly educated and gifted man, a great sportsman and musician, so much that he was given permission to leave school at age 9 yrs.
Mary Daisy RYAN, third daughter of Tom Ryan
He was to later move to Bendigo to start his lifetime career in mining where he met and married his wife, Henrietta Kane in 1889 and they were to have three daughters, Lillian, Henrietta, and Mary Daisy, and two sons, Thomas Richard and Jack. Due to ‘Miners Phthisis’ Thomas was to pass away in 1916 at the young age of 46yrs. A full story of the ‘Ryan’ family can be read in the publication featured below:- ‘Meekatharra, ‘End of the Earth’.
Fenian Mine part-owned Tom Ryan from Sue Hartley
Hunting Expedition in the Floods, Meekatharra, Ryan Family
Tom Ryan’s home in Rivervale (front) near the Racecourse ‘Hill 60’!
Hill 60 (rear) from the Swan River.
Commonwealth Hotel, formerly owned by Tom Ryan Meekatharra from Sue Hartley
Obituary:
Westonian 24 February 1917, page 2
DEATH OF A MURCHISON PIONEER.
THE LATE MR, THOMAS RYAN.
The death of Mr. Thomas Ryan on Tuesday last at his residence, “Hill 60,” Belmont Park, at the comparatively early age of 49, removes from our midst another of the few remaining pioneers of the rich Meekatharra field. Arriving in this state in the early days of the gold rush, the late Mr. Ryan, who, in addition to being a sound practical miner, possessed theoretical mining knowledge gained as a student at a Victorian School of Mines, spent some time prospecting.
Later he accepted the position as manager of some mining propositions in the Lake Way district, held by an English company. After certain developmental work, he regarded them as unpayable and advised their abandonment. He resigned. Subsequently, the company followed his advice. As a prospector, he met with the usual vicissitudes, but he was a man of untiring energy, and failure would never dishearten him. At Meekatharra he was one of the syndicates who took up and worked the now-famous Fenian mine, and in addition, he owned the Marmont and Marmont Extended gold mines, which adjoin the Fenian.
At Westonia he was interested in the Edna May Junction mine. He was a native of Ballarat, and in his younger days was a noted pedestrian. Well known in the racing world, the deceased gentleman raced for many years in this State, the best of his horses being probably the sprinter Ejector, which won for him races in this State and also in Victoria. A generous friend of many, his death will be sincerely regretted by a host of people throughout the State. He leaves a wife and family of three daughters and two young sons. His remains were interred in the Karrakatta Cemetery this afternoon. — “Daily News.”
Note 23 Nov 2023 – I have just been contacted by Tim Jones who sent me the following photographs of before and after on the restoration of Tom Jones grave at Karrakatta. He tells me that the repairs were funded by a generous group of King Tom’s descendants with supervision by one of Ryan’s Great Grandsons, an architect. He also said
“It’s also the official resting place of my grandmother Mary Daisy Hope and uncle Kevan Michael Hope. Unofficially, there’s other family ashes scattered, portions of Mum’s and Aunty Noeline’s ashes. Interestingly, Mary Daisy’s (Mardy) husband’s grave is just up the hill at the Perth War Cemetery. One of only 16 World War 1 graves…also impeccably maintained…with some of Mum’s ashes there too.” Thank you for sharing this with our readers Tim and for permission to use the photograph.
Restoration ‘Before and After’ on Tom Ryan’s grave at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth WA. – Photo Tim Jones
Recommended Reading – Meekatharra ‘End of the Earth’ by PR Heydon available from Hesperian Press
Moya Sharp
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