NORTHERN TERRITORY REFLECTIONS

The trajectory of one’s life depends on circumstance. Richard Ryan’s story pivots around two beloved Northern Territory-based uncles, a devastating cyclone, and a couple of young blokes who came to the Territory to make a quid on the roads. Company director, philanthropist and accountant Richard Ryan witnessed, and participated in, many momentous changes in the Northern Territory from the early 1970s. He was there to help with the cleanup and rebuild of Darwin devastated after Cyclone Tracy struck on Christmas Day 1974, and he observed first-hand the issues arising after the formation of the Territory’s self-government in 1978. At the heart of Northern Territory Reflections is the story of the founding, ascendancy and fall of the Northern Territory’s first publicly listed industrial company, Henry and Walker Ltd, where Richard Ryan became chief executive and successfully encouraged joint ventures with the Indigenous community. He also played a role in the evolution of the Northern Territory’s casinos, and the creation of Charles Darwin University, where he was appointed Inaugural Chancellor, a role he describes as ‘my special pleasure, my career highlight’. The spectacular Territory is a frontier region with twenty per cent of Australia’s landmass and less than one per cent of the population. In Northern Territory Reflections author Richard Ryan remembers its critical moments since the 1970s, and analyses the multi-faceted aspects of financing this vast region and the many challenges that lie ahead.