Jack Ryrie

Jack Ryrie was an Australian national and stock breeder like his father. Attending King’s School in Sydney, he excelled in cricket, rowing and football. Later rowing for the Sydney Rowing Club, Ryrie represented New South Wales in Interstate Regattas in two years (1908 and 1911) winning the event both times. In 1912 an Australian eight was selected to compete at Henley and the Olympic Games in Stockholm. The joint New South Wales and Victoria crew entered at Henley as the Sydney Rowing Club as only club teams were allowed. The Australian eight with Ryrie in the bow won the Royal Henley Regatta beating Leander Club in the final. In Stockholm, however, they lost the quarter-final to Leander by ½-a-length.

In 1915, Ryrie joined the 4. Staffordshire Regiment in England. He saw action in France and was wounded. After his recovery he became part of the Machine Gun Corps serving in Palestine. He returned to Australia after the armistice and married Statia Madeline McKay in 1923. The couple settled in Gulargambone, NSW and had three baby girls. During a polo tournament in nearby Gilgandra, he collided with two other riders, fell and broke his neck, dying instantly.