1967: Ronald Joseph Ryan: Legally executed in Australia.

Letter from the Governor’s Office, Melbourne 

Ronald Joseph Ryan was found guilty of shooting and killing a warder, George Hodson during an escape from Pentridge Prison, Victoria, in 1965. He was the last person to be legally executed in Australia. 


Ronald Joseph Ryan

Ryan’s hanging was met with public protests by those opposed to capital punishment which was later abolished in all states of Australia in 1985.

How John became involved in this particular case, and from Australia, is unknown. However, it is consistent with his being a conscientious objector in World War Two and his significant contribution to the SCCL (Scottish Council for Civil Liberties) campaign to abolish corporal punishment in Scottish schools. A campaign that was wholeheartedly supported by Lois Aitkenhead. The SCCL campaign and their contribution will  be considered in a separate article.

As regards the exclamation mark after the comment in John's handwriting at the end of the letter, I have always considered it to be despair of the human condition that in this (that) day and age 'civilised' countries like Australia still resorted to capital punishment.

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