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Rupert Sumner Ryan CMG DSO was born on 6th May 1884 at Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). He was the only son of Sir Charles Snodgrass Ryan, a prominent Melbourne surgeon, and Alice Sumner, Lady Ryan.[1] His only sibling, sister Maie, became entitled as Baroness Casey after marrying Richard Casey, Lord Casey, Governor General of Australia. Rupert attended Geelong Church of England Grammar School in 1895-98, then completed his education in England, at Harrow School, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from which he graduated with the sword of honour.
Commissioned in the Royal Artillery on 21st December 1904. When the First World War began his unit joined the 7th Division on the Western Front. Ryan was wounded in the battle of Festubert in May 2015. He served on the staffs of the XIII Corps (1915-16), Reserve (Fifth) Army (1916), Cavalry Corps (1916-17) and First Army (1917-20), rising from Captain (October 1914) to brevet Lieutenant Colonel (June 1919). Six times Mentioned in Despatches, he was also appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1918 and awarded three foreign honours. In 1919 Ryan was appointed chief of staff to the military governor of Cologne in occupied Germany.
At the British consulate, Coblenz, Rhineland, Germany on 29th May 1924 he married (Lady) Rosemary Constance Ferelith, the 20-year-old daughter of the high commissioner Victor Alexander Hay, Lord Kilmarnock (21st Earl of Erroll), whom he served as deputy.
In 1928 Ryan was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). Following his father-in-law's death in February 1929, he acted as high commissioner until the occupation ended. He retired from the army in 1929 and joined Vickers Ltd as an arms salesman. His flair for languages, easy manner and artillery expertise made him a capable representative of Vickers in Moscow (1930), Bangkok (1932-33) and other places, but, discouraged by his lack of success in Siam (Thailand), he resigned in 1934.
After his marriage ended in divorce in 1935, Ryan returned to Victoria where, with Maie, he had inherited a thousand-acre (405 ha) property, Edrington, at Berwick, south-east of Melbourne. While the Caseys remained in Canberra, Rupert and Patrick, his only child, settled at Edrington and built it into one of the largest Romney Marsh studs in the State. He also raised fat lambs, fattened cattle, experimented with pastoral improvement and pioneered the growing of flax in Victoria. With his sister and brother-in-law he learned to fly, and in 1939 built a landing strip on the property.
When the Second World War broke out, Ryan, aged 55 years, joined the Australian Military Forces and held administrative posts at Army Headquarters, Melbourne, until September 1940,[2] when he stood as the United Australia Party candidate and won the seat of Flinders in the House of Representatives. He served on the joint committees on social security (1941-46) and foreign affairs (chairman 1952). Not really a 'political animal' Ryan stuck to his intention to help Australians and, in parliament, he won the affection of politicians on both sides for his kindliness and tolerance, and their respect for his knowledge of world affairs.
With his clipped English accent, Springer spaniels, tweeds and pipe, he was the epitome of the country squire at Edrington. Ryan was adored by his 'little' sister, who kindly described him as 'short, compact and powerful'. He died suddenly of cardiac failure on the night of 25th August 1952 at home. He was 68 years of age. His remains were cremated.[3]
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Categories: Australia, Farmers | Victoria, Members of the House of Representatives | British Military Officers | Royal Artillery | Distinguished Service Order | Mentioned in Despatches | Royal Military Academy, Woolwich | Harrow School, Harrow, Middlesex | Geelong Grammar School, Corio, Victoria | Australia, Notables in Government | Notables | Wounded in Action, United Kingdom, World War I
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