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Ryrie Family
Coolringdon c1848
(Last changed Sunday June 24, 2012)

THE FAMILY HISTORY | GENEALOGY | STEWART RYRIE, Jnr | SIR GRANVILLE DE LAUNE RYRIE

Micalago today Photo - Rebecca Lamb	Coolringdon today Photo - Rebecca Lamb
Ryrie Road, Earlwood has a tribute to Sir Granville Ryrie. Photo John Edwards	Hughenden Terrace in Cavendish St., Stanmore where Janet Ryrie lived after the death of her husband Stewart Ryrie, Jnr. Photo - John Edwards

RYRIE FAMILY
So long as the story of Manaro- continues to be told, so long will it have interwoven with it the saga of the Ryrie family. The first New South Wales chapter of the family history dates back to 1826, when Commissary General Ryrie, who had been Chief of the Commissariat under the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular Wars, arrived in Sydney. Having had, in accordance with the custom of those days, a large land grant made available to him, he decided upon an area afterwards known as Arnprior, situated near Braidwood. Commissary Ryrie, as he is known to all old Manaroites, was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Stewart, sister to a one-time Governor of New South Wales, and his second, a Miss Cassells. Three sons were born of each marriage, those of the first union being Donald, William, and Stewart; those of the second Alexander, David and John. Commissary Ryrie's daughter Jane, married Dr. Francis Lascelles Wallace, and father and son-in-law were applicants for, and grantees of, a Lease of Coolringdon Run of 26,000 acres in 1848, though they were in occupation of the property prior to this. Coolringdon was disposed of to Mr. William Bradley, who in 1866 sold it to Hugh, a brother of Dr. Wallace. Alexander and David Ryrie at one time owned Burnima Station, and David Ryrie and his wife resided there. That property was, however, not held for any considerable time. Hugh Wallace, in 1877, sold Coolringdon back to the Ryries, and David occupied, worked and developed the property until his death in 1888. He, for a period of about twelve months, represented Manaro in the Legislative Assembly. Coolringdon was eventually sold to Mr. Robert Craig, by whose trustees it is still held. Three of the sons of David Ryrie took part in the World War, and one of them, Major Harold Ryrie, is numbered with those who made the great sacrifice.

The Ryrie's also acquired from Captain Francis Nicholas Rossi, the Micilago Run of 35,000 acres. Here Alexander Ryrie, who married Miss Faunce, made his permanent home and devoted himself to the management of his property. He interested himself in politics, occupying a seat in the Legislative Assembly and later accepted a seat in the Legislative Council.

In 1865 John Ryrie withdrew from the partnership existing between him and his two brothers, and John Ryrie, junior, acquired Maffra, at one time held by Ben Boyd. There for many years past Mr. J. C. Ryrie has interested himself in sheep and wool growing.

The name of Ryrie is not restricted to those places which, in the forties, could be regarded as within the settled areas, for in the advance which opened up the wild hinterland lying at the foot of the Snowy Mountains, Stewart Ryrie Junr., was a lessee, in 1848, of the Jindabine Run of 13,000 acres. The same gentleman also held the Cootalundra Run of 7,680 acres, whilst later, Donald Ryrie acquired the Kalkite Run of 20,000 acres. (This seems at one time to have been held by William and later by John Thomas Neale.)

Transcribed by Pattrick Mould in 2003, from the book "Back to Coma' Celebrations" page 85

THE RYRIES: AN AUSTRALIAN PIONEER FAMILY by JOHN EDWARDS

Although the Ryries have often been mentioned in passing, no integrated account of the history of one of Australia’s more significant pioneer families has hitherto existed. Stewart Ryrie of Caithness was an officer in Wellington’s commissariat. He married Anne Stewart who bore him six children and the family moved to Edinburgh. When Anne died, he remarried in 1825 and brought his young wife Isabella Cassels and his first family to Sydney, where three more sons were born. This book by John H Edwards (published 2007) follows the pioneering adventures of both branches of the family in the Southern Tablelands and Monaro districts of NSW and the Yarra Valley and Western District in Victoria.

Only a few copies remain at $45-00 plus P&P. Order from norrongpress@ozemail.com.au 

 

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The following photos were supplied by Michael Povey <mpovey-at-tpg.com.au> 3.09.11

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Descendants of Stewart Ryrie

Recompiled from the new Monaro Pioneers database: 17.05.08
with additional information supplied by:
John Edwards <johnandruth-at-ozemail.com.au>  1.07.08

Descendants Report