About Ryan

A quick history of Ryan

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The Federal Electorate of Ryan was created in 1948 and named for Thomas Joseph Ryan, Premier of Queensland from 1915-19. He resigned to enter federal politics in 1919, and was elected to the seat of West Sydney later that year. He fell ill with pneumonia and died in office in 1921.

The previous members for the seat of Ryan have been:

Nigel Drury (LP) 1949-75
John Moore AO (LP) 1975 - 2001
Leonie Short (ALP) 2001 - 2001
Michael Johnson (LP) 2001 -

A quick profile of Ryan
Ryan covers the western and south-western suburbs of Brisbane. The Gap, Peewee Bend and the inner city suburbs of Auchenflower and Bardon denote the northern extent of Ryan while the Centenary Suburbs mark the southern end. From the Brisbane River at Indooroopilly and St Lucia, Ryan reaches west to Karana Downs, Kohlo and Lake Manchester.

Ryan is a mainly residential area with some acreage and a large portion of Brisbane Forest Park. Within Ryan there is some light industry; some major shopping centres including The Gap Village, Indooroopilly, Kenmore Village and Mt Ommaney; and also the University of Queensland, a major scientific research centre.

More than 120,000 people live in Ryan, with over 90,000 enrolled voters. The median age of Ryan residents is just 32, 20 % of the population is between 15 and 24 years of age, the highest figure for any electorate in Australia. More than a quarter of the population of Ryan was born overseas, with 11% speaking a language other than English at home.

The workforce participation rate of people living in Ryan is 66% - for women it is almost 50%, one of the highest rates in the country. Almost 40% of the population has a tertiary qualification. Ryan residents have the second highest rate of home computer use and home Internet use in the country at 60 % and more than 45% respectively (figures from the 2001 Census).