Ronald Ryan

Ronald Ryan was the last man hanged in Australia, on 3 February 1967.

Ryan and his accomplice Peter Walker escaped from Pentridge Prison on 19 December 1965. The escape set in motion a chain of events which would lead to Ryan's execution and, eventually, to the abolition of the death penalty in Australia.

Through these film compilations of Channel Nine News footage about Ryan, held in the NFSA television collection, we get a snapshot of the stories that unfolded following Ryan's escape and subsequent arrest.

This collection also includes three clips from the documentary The Last Man Hanged (1993), featuring interviews with Walker and Ryan's wife and a dramatic re-creation of the execution (with Colin Friels as Ryan).