POEM, COPIED BY ERNEST 'SHINER' RYAN

Bill Allerton (full name William Edward Allerton) donated this handwritten poem, entitled ‘Not Understood’ and credited at the top of the paper as being a poem by Thomas Bracken, M.P., New Zealand. On the reverse of the page is another handwritten note detailing that this poem was copied from memory by Ernest A. ‘Shiner’ Ryan in 1942. Bill saw an article in the West Australian newspaper on 12 November 2016 about the new exhibition at Fremantle Prison, titled Reform, which included information about Shiner Ryan. After seeing this article, Bill thought the Prison may be interested in having this handwritten poem

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The poem belonged to Bill’s grandfather (William Thomas Edward Allerton) and was then passed to Bill’s father (William Edward Thomas Allerton) before being passed on to Bill. Bill believes his grandfather came by the poem when Shiner Ryan would do gardening work at his house on Harris Road in Palmyra. Bill believed that Shiner was on some form of ‘day release’ or working scheme where he would do work in the community before returning to the Prison at night. When Shiner was released from Fremantle Prison, Bill remembers him visiting his grandfather and grandmother (Annie Allerton) to say goodbye before Shiner moved interstate. Bill was approximately 5 years old at the time and was at his grandparents’ house when Shiner came for that visit and remembers it distinctly.

The two handwritten notes on the back of the poem in blue ink were written by Bill’s mother (Ella Line Allerton, née Chetwynd) when the poem belonged to her husband (Bill’s father). It records that this poem was written by Shiner Ryan whilst he was incarcerated at Fremantle Prison.