Mike Richards - The Hanged Man: The Life and Death of Ronald Ryan

Scribe Publications
THE HANGED MAN

Mike Richards is the author of Wakool Crossing: a modern-day investigation into the mysterious death of a young woman in 1916 (Scribe, 2012). The Hanged Man was a joint winner of the 2002 Ned Kelly award for true crime and highly commended in the National Biography Award in 2003.

Scribe Publications Pty Ltd
1820 Edward St, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia 3056
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First published by Scribe Publications 2002
Reprinted with minor corrections in 2003

Copyright Mike Richards 2002, 2003

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publishers of this book.

National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication data

Richards, Mike.
The hanged man : the life & death of Ronald Ryan

9781922072078 (e-book.)

1. Ryan, Ronald, 1925-1967. 2. Capital punishment - Victoria. 3. Criminals - Victoria - Biography. I. Title.

364.6609945

www.scribepublications.com.au

In memory of

Jack Galbally
19101990

and

Graham Little
19392000

Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

With regard to my guilt I say only that I am innocent of intent and have a clear conscience in the matter. I was not content to have my loved ones committed to a life of drudgery and sought the means to establish the chance for [my wife] and children. For this odd thinking I must, for excuse, point to my childhood and history.

Ronald Ryan

If Id run into [Pentridge prison governor Ian Grindlay] during the escape, I wouldve dropped the gun and given up immediately.

Ronald Ryan

Contents

Conversions

Pre-decimal currency values and imperial weights and measures have been retained in this book as they were in existence for most of the period from 1925 to 1967, and are enshrined in virtually all of the official documents quoted. The table below indicates approximate conversion values for length, distance, currency, temperature and weight:

1 inch = 2.5 centimetres

1 foot = 30 centimetres

1 yard = 0.9 metres

1 mile = 1.6 kilometres

12 pence = 10 cents

10 shillings = $1

1 (pound) = $2

100 degrees Fahrenheit = 38 degrees Celsius

2 pounds (weight) = 1 kilogram

10 stone = 64 kilograms

Acknowledgments

A study of this kind cannot be completed without the help of a great many people who have contributed either through assistance with sources, or by reading parts of the manuscript, or by agreeing to be interviewed about the story of Ronald Ryan.

A number of people kindly provided documents or information, or guided me through libraries, archives, and other sources. Many of them have moved on from their positions at the time in which they were helpful to me, but I have listed their contemporary positions below. Among them are Ms Amanda Baker, Old Melbourne Gaol; Mr Harry Barbon, Crema Group (Pentridge prison redevelopment); Ms Tamara Bell, Herald & Weekly Times; Mr Adrian Bellis, Melbourne Magistrates Court; Mr Colin Benjamin, Students Anti-Hanging Committee, Melbourne University; Mr Brian Bourke, barrister; the Rev Father John Brosnan, Chaplain, HM Prison Pentridge; Mr John Buckley, Criminal Law branch, Office of the Crown Solicitor, Victoria; Mr James Butler, Supreme Court of Victoria Library; Hon Justice John Coldrey, Supreme Court of Victoria; Mr Stan Cox, Community Services Victoria; Ms Susie Cram, researcher, Hector Crawford Productions; Mr Charles Curwen, official secretary to the governor of Victoria; Mr Ray Davie, The Age ; Hon Brian Dixon, MP, Minister for Social Welfare, Victoria; Ms Marita Dunbar, Justice Department, Victoria; Rev Father Michael Elligate, Chaplain, University of Melbourne; Mr Kevin Fenton, Ryans former classmate, St Johns, Mitcham; Mr Geoff Flatman, QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, Victoria; Associate Professor Anne Freadman, University of Queensland; Mr Bob Galbally, Galbally Rolfe; Ms Diane Gardiner, National Trust at the Old Melbourne Gaol; Mr Michael Gawenda, The Age ; Mr Tim Goodman, auctioneer; Mr Bruce Guthrie, The Age ; Brother Reg Hamilton, Rupertswood Old Boys Association; Ms Bronwyn Hammond, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Victoria; Major DRH Harris, Central Army Records Office, Melbourne; Mr Steve Harris, The Age ; Mr Frank Hart, Privy Council Office, London; Mr Darren Hobbs, Justice Department, Victoria; Mr Thos Hodgson, barrister; Mr Tony Howard, QC, barrister; Mr Sek Hulme, QC, barrister; Hon Barry Jones, MP; Mr John Jost, The Age ; Mr Ian Killey, Department of the Premier & Cabinet, Victoria; Dr Paul Knapman, Westminster Coroners Court, London; Mrs Joyce Kotze, Ryans former classmate, St Johns, Mitcham; Mr Luch Kremmer, Crema Group; Mr Sacha Kumara, The Age ; Mr James McKinnon, Public Records Office of Victoria; Ms Rachel Mcleod, The Age ; Mr Allen McRobb, St Pancras Coroners Court, London; Sister Madonna, Little Sisters of the Poor, Abbotsford; Hon Race Mathews, MP, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Victoria; Mr Ian Morrison, Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne; Ms Shirley Mulligan, Victorian Government Reporting Service; Dr Philip Opas, QC, barrister; Mr Paul Ormonde, journalist; Ms Ann Piggott, Public Records Office of Victoria; Miss Ruth Potter, Correspondence School, Department of Education, Victoria; Mr Martin Powell, Victoria Police Historical Unit; Mr Frank Prain, The Age library; Mr Tom Prior, journalist; Mr Len Radic, The Age ; Mrs Joan Roczniok, local historian, Nunawading; Mr Peter Ryan, Melbourne University Press; Ms Barbara Ryszkowska, Westminster Coroners Court, London; Ms Monica Simpson, The Age library; Mr Greg Spithill, Department of the Treasury, Victoria; Ms Laraine Tate, NSW Police Service; Mr Michael Thompson, Victorian Government Reporting Service; Ms Olga Tsara, State Library of Victoria; Mr Lon Vasiutas, Criminal Law branch, Office of the Crown Solicitor, Victoria; Mr John Watherston, Registrar, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, London; Mr Norman Wearne, Department of Social Welfare, Victoria; Mr Iain West, deputy state coroner, Victoria; Mr Evan Whitton, journalist; and Ms Beverley Williams, Balnarring Picnic Racing Club.

Others kindly agreed to read parts of the manuscript in its differing forms and at various stages of its gestation. Among them are Professor Don Aitken, Mr Greg Armstrong, Ms Carole Barns, Mr George Brouwer, Hon John Cain, Mr Charles Curwen, Rev Father Michael Elligate, Mr John Feltham, Mr Ralph Freadman, Sir Robert Gatehouse, Hon Justice Paul Guest, Mr Bryan Harding, Mr Tony Howard, QC, Mr Sek Hulme, QC, Mr Anthony Fitzwilliams-Hyde, Professor Ken Inglis, the late Father Terry Jennings, SDB, Hon Dr Barry Jones, Dr Douglas Kirsner, the late Mr Leon Peres, Mr Peter OBrien, Ms Margot Rosenbloom, Mr Richard Searby, QC, the late Hon Sir John Starke, QC, the late Mr Ron Syme, Professor James Walter, and Mr John Watherston. Dr Elizabeth Wood-Ellem produced the index against an impossible deadline. I owe a special personal debt to Dr Roger Buckle.

Friends and family have been generous with their time and support in seeing this book to publication. John Carroll kindly agreed to read the whole manuscript; it has benefited enormously from his astute comments, and I thank him for his wise counsel. Rob Southey was similarly generous in reading the entire manuscript and saving me from numerous infelicities of expression and worse. As well, Rob went beyond the call of friendship in doggedly tracking down an old portrait of Jack Starke that had seemed lost to history; his support throughout this project has been tireless. My daughters, Regan and Vanessa Richards, diligently read the completed manuscript, and offered many valuable comments and suggestions. David Broadbent, Creighton Burns, John Cain, Ian Collens, Bill Gurry, Meg Gurry, John Guy, Ian Haig, Gail Hambly, Nigel Henham, Brad Hooper, John Ridley and Don Watson have been supportive and encouraging over many years.