William “Bill” “Bricky” “Hoot” Ryan

HERITAGE No: 288

BIRTH: 20 July 1911

Albury, NSW

DEATH: 9 July 1994 Brisbane, late of Ipswich, Queensland

DEATH: 9 July 1994

Brisbane, late of Ipswich, Queensland

OCCUPATION: Boilermaker, 1932 - 1980

RESIDENCE: King St Junee, NSW, 1932; South St Ipswich, Queensland, 1943 - 1954; Railway Reserve, Mayne Junction, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, 1954 – 1972; Murphy St Ipswich, Queensland, 1977; Lobelia Ave Slacks creek, Queensland, 1980

GAME HISTORY

Junee RL 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932
Wests RL First Grade 1931, 1932
Wests RL 2nd Grade 1931, 1932
Sydney RL Firsts v Country RL Firsts 1932
City Probables RL v City RL Possibles 1932
City RL Firsts v Country RL Firsts 1932
Metropolis RL v Country RL Firsts 1932
Metropolis RL v England 1932
NSW RL v Queensland RL 1932
Temora RL 1933
Country RL Possibles v Country RL Probables 1933
Country RL Seconds v City RL Seconds 1933
Country RL Firsts v City RL Firsts 1933
Leeton RL 1934 (April 1934 – 5 June)
Cootamundra RL 1934 (13 June – 18 July)
Ungarie RL 1934 (12 August – September)
St George RL First Grade 1935
Ipswich Eastern Suburbs RL 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942
Ipswich District RL 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945
Ipswich RL v England RL 1936
Ipswich RL v NSW RL 1939
Queensland Railways RL v NSW Railways RL 1937
Queensland RL v England RL 1936
Queensland RL v NSW RL 1936, 1938, 1941
Queensland RL v NSW Group 1 1939
Queensland RL v NSW Group 5 1939
Ipswich C.Y.M.S RL 1943, 1944, 1946
Ipswich Booval Swifts RL 1945
Ipswich C.Y.M.S. RL Coach 1946
Ipswich District RL Selector 1950

Bill

Bill Ryan was the son of James and Elizabeth Ryan who married at Germantown near Albury, NSW. The family moved north, first to Yerong Creek, south of Wagga Wagga, where James Ryan farmed. The family eventually, settled at Junee, where James worked for the NSW Railways as a Fettler.

Junee was a railway town and the nature of work in the town at the time, no doubt had an influence on a young Bill Ryan which ultimately forged his connection with Wests. Bill Ryan is arguably one of the most nomadic rugby league players that ever played. But the context for that was the Great Depression of the 1930’s when jobs were scarce and men traveled to find work wherever they could.