Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Member Details

Mr James Tobias RYAN (1818 - 1899)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 04/01/1818
Place of Birth: South Creek, near Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 17/10/1899
Place of Death: Woolloomooloo, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Tolls on Government Bridges Committee No.19 22 Mar 1870 07 May 1870 1 month 16 days
Member for Nepean 14 Dec 1869 03 Feb 1872 2 years 1 month 21 days
William Goodin Committee No.11 21 Nov 1865 22 Dec 1865 1 month 2 days
Member for Nepean 10 Dec 1864 15 Nov 1869 4 years 11 months 6 days
Mr Francis Flanagan Committee No.20 05 Aug 1862 04 Nov 1862 3 months
Mr Francis Flanagan Committee No.21 10 Dec 1861 20 Jan 1862 1 month 11 days
Minmi and Hexham Railway Act Amendment Bill Committee No.18 12 Feb 1861 11 May 1861 3 months
Member for Nepean 14 Dec 1860 10 Nov 1864 3 years 10 months 28 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 14 Dec 1860 03 Feb 1872 11 years 1 month 21 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Pastoralist. Father took over from wife's parents farm at South Creek in 1827. Received limited education but spent first year at boarding school. Worked with father and spent two years as a timber getter, ploughman, milkman and horse breaker. Overlanded cattle to Port Phillip. Settled in Nepean district in 1838; In 1840 became a butcher at Penrith. At a later time also became an auctioneer and spirits merchant. Raised cattle on Buttabone, Mumblebone and Maryinbone stations on Macquarie and Castlereagh Rivers. By 1852 had built Emu Hall an impressive home on the Nepean River. Successful racehorse owner and breeder; big gambler. Bankrupt in 1871 and lost much property. In 1879 until 1880 became a licensee of Crown Hotel in George Street, Sydney. In 1885 became an asphalter with son. Became bankrupt in 1885. By 1887 was a valuator and in 1890s ran a boarding house in Sydney with his wife. Freemason for 56 years. Interests included boxing, crack pigeon shot and was President of the Metropolitan Pigeon Club in the early 1860s. Supported Robertson's land bills.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of John Michael Tobin Ryan, printer and convict, and his wife Mary Rope. Married Mary Dempsey on 16 August 1838 and they had 3 daughters and 4 sons. Church of England.
Additional Information
James T. Ryan, Reminiscences of Australia: containing 70 years of his own knowledge and 35 years of his ancestors, Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1894 A painting of Emu Hall in 1866, by Joseph Fowles, is in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales (ML 1009).