Noel's Story
1912 - 1969
Noel Ryan succeeded Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton as Australia’s pre-eminent freestyle distance swimmer. He was another of the long line of aquatic Olympians who hailed from Manly.
At Los Angeles 1932, he finished fourth in the 1500 metres as well as competing in the heats of the 100 metres and semi-finals of the 400 metres. On both sides of those Olympics, he won the imperial equivalents of the 400 metres and 1500 metres at the Empire Games at Hamilton, Canada in 1930 and at London in 1934. For his swimming achievements in 1931 he eventually was retrospectively awarded a Helms Trophy as the ‘foremost amateur athlete in Australasia’.
Ryan was also a great champion of the surf lifesaving movement. In 1988, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Noel Ryan Gardens in the Canberra suburb of Gordon are named in his honour.
