Thomas Ryan (New South Wales politician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Vernon Ryan was an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1956 to 1965, representing the electorate of Auburn.
Ryan was born in Mossgiel
, and was educated at Wilcannia
. He worked variously in farming and mining before entering the Railways Department as a storeman. While stationed at Dubbo in the 1930s, he became actively involved in both trade unionism and the Labor Party, serving as both the secretary of the local branch of the party and in various roles for the Australian Railways Union. He also served a brief stint on the City of Dubbo
council from 1936. He relocated to Sydney in 1938, and was elected to the Auburn Council
in 1939. He served five years on the Auburn council, including one year as mayor in 1942.
Ryan, a supporter of Jack Lang
, resigned from the Labor Party in 1943 along with the final Lang Labor
split, subsequently becoming president of the reformed splinter party. He was a prominent figure in the Lang movement for the next three years, and contested the 1946 federal election
as the Lang Labor candidate for West Sydney
. However, he resigned from Lang Labor in 1946 in protest at the preselection of Lang's son, James Lang
, to contest Lang's state seat following his entry into federal politics. He rejoined the Labor Party thereafter, and attempted to win Labor preselection to challenge James Lang at the 1950 election
, losing to MLA Edgar Dring
, whose seat had been abolished in a redistribution.
Dring died in December 1955, and Ryan won Labor preselection to contest the still-vacant Auburn seat at the 1956 state election
. He was easily re-elected in 1959 and 1962, but was defeated for preselection in 1965 by Peter Cox
. He did not hold party parliamentary or ministerial office.
Ryan died at Guildford
in 1972.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1956 to 1965, representing the electorate of Auburn.
Ryan was born in Mossgiel
Mossgiel, New South Wales
Mossgiel is a location in New South Wales, Australia, in Carrathool Shire. It was a township on the coach route between the Lachlan and Darling Rivers , 50 kms south east of Ivanhoe near the junction with the road to Hillston. The settlement experienced a steady decline during the 20th century...
, and was educated at Wilcannia
Wilcannia, New South Wales
Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. This was the third largest inland port in the country during the great river boat era of the mid-19th century. At the 2006 census, Wilcannia had a population of 596.- Geography...
. He worked variously in farming and mining before entering the Railways Department as a storeman. While stationed at Dubbo in the 1930s, he became actively involved in both trade unionism and the Labor Party, serving as both the secretary of the local branch of the party and in various roles for the Australian Railways Union. He also served a brief stint on the City of Dubbo
City of Dubbo
Dubbo is a Local Government Area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The City is traversed by the Mitchell Highway, the Newell Highway, the Golden Highway and the Main Western railway line.The largest population centre is the city of Dubbo...
council from 1936. He relocated to Sydney in 1938, and was elected to the Auburn Council
Auburn Council
Auburn Council is the governing body of a local government area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, about 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district...
in 1939. He served five years on the Auburn council, including one year as mayor in 1942.
Ryan, a supporter of Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
, resigned from the Labor Party in 1943 along with the final Lang Labor
Lang Labor
Lang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
split, subsequently becoming president of the reformed splinter party. He was a prominent figure in the Lang movement for the next three years, and contested the 1946 federal election
Australian federal election, 1946
Federal elections were held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
as the Lang Labor candidate for West Sydney
Division of West Sydney
The Division of West Sydney was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, and at various times included the suburbs of Pyrmont, Darling Harbour, Surry Hills, Balmain and Glebe....
. However, he resigned from Lang Labor in 1946 in protest at the preselection of Lang's son, James Lang
James Lang (politician)
James Christian Lang was an Australian politician. The son of Jack Lang, Premier of New South Wales 1925–27 and 1930–32, he succeeded his father as the member for Auburn in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, serving from 1946 to 1950.Born in Homebush, Lang was educated at North...
, to contest Lang's state seat following his entry into federal politics. He rejoined the Labor Party thereafter, and attempted to win Labor preselection to challenge James Lang at the 1950 election
New South Wales state election, 1950
The 1950 New South Wales State state election was held on 17 June 1950. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1949 redistribution...
, losing to MLA Edgar Dring
Edgar Dring
Edgar Percy Dring was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until his death in 1955. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party ....
, whose seat had been abolished in a redistribution.
Dring died in December 1955, and Ryan won Labor preselection to contest the still-vacant Auburn seat at the 1956 state election
New South Wales state election, 1956
The 1956 New South Wales state election was held on 3 March 1956. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1952 redistribution...
. He was easily re-elected in 1959 and 1962, but was defeated for preselection in 1965 by Peter Cox
Peter Cox (politician)
Peter Francis Cox, AO was an Australian politician.-Early life:Cox was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, and educated at Marist Brothers College in the Sydney suburb of Lidcombe. His father, Edwin, was a plumber with the NSW railways. Ben Chifley, the future prime minister, helped the Cox family...
. He did not hold party parliamentary or ministerial office.
Ryan died at Guildford
Guildford, New South Wales
Guildford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Guildford is located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Holroyd and the City of Parramatta...
in 1972.