John Ryan (diplomat)

John Edmund Ryan (13 March 1923 – 9 February 1987) was an Australian diplomat and public servant.

Early life, education and military service
Ryan was born in Bondi, Sydney in 1923. He was educated in Canberra at St Christopher's School, and later attended St Patrick's College, Goulburn on a bursary. He enrolled at the University of Sydney in 1941, but only completed the first year of an arts degree before enlisting in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 9 January 1942. He served as a corporal with the 2/7th Independent Company in New Guinea until March 1943 when he was selected for officer training at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. Due to the war, he completed a shortened version of the training, during which he was injured in a transport accident.

Diplomatic career
Ryan was discharged from the AIF in 1946, and later that year, joined the Department of External Affairs. He served as High Commissioner to Ghana (1965–67) and Ambassador to Laos (1968–69), then Ambassador to Italy (1974–77) and High Commissioner to Canada (1977–80).