Early in 2017, 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.
Sue said: “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 families 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?
Thomas Ryan is featured in the ‘Cycolpedia of Western Australia Vol 2’ 1912-1913, available in hard copy and on CD from Gould Books @ http://bit.ly/22ucznu
Sue has sent me the following photographs from her family album which I am sure the readers will enjoy looking at:-
Hill View, Tom Ryans home in Meekatharra, Tom second from right Photo – 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 Stawall 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.
He was to later move to Bendigo to start his life time 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’.
Mary Daisy RYAN, third daughter of Tom Ryan
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
Meekatharra ‘End of the Earth’ by PR Heydon available from Hesperian Press
The Fenian GM, Meekatharra
The Marmont GM, Meekatharra
Tom Ryan passed away in Perth on the 21st Feb 1917:
Meekatharra Miner (WA : 1909 – 1918), Saturday 24 February 1917, page 3
OBITUARY,
MR TOM RYAN.
PERTH: Wednesday. Mr Tom Ryan, the well known mine owner of Meekatharra, died at Belmont Park yesterday. Tom Ryan was one of the original shareholders in the Fenian and Mannont mines, eventually purchasing the whole of the other shareholders interest in the latter, to which he added the Marmont Extended lease.; the deceased was a game speculator, and his dividends from the Fenian went into scores of mining and business ventures in this State, and to his Enterprise in this direction the prosperity of Meekatharra owes much. No prospector lacked backing money whilst Tom had it to spend, and it may be truly said that his generosity in. many cases exceeded his discression. His Marmont and Marmont Extended mines have been idle for a ‘Considerable time due probably to the fact that the initial financing of the propositions proved too much for him, but we believe the day Is not far distant when the fruits of his splendid pioneering work in connection with the south end of Paddy’s Fla,t will be reaped by his successors. With the death of Mr Tom Ryan the district loses a man whose name will be forever associated with the history of Meekatharra. Deceased leases a wife and grown-up family, Mrs Ryan’s home being in Perth.
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
Tom Ryan’s Grave at Karrakatta Cemetery Perth WA. Before and after restoration – Photo Tim Jones
“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.
Moya Sharp
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