Jayco's Gerry Ryan receives another Australia Day honour

Jayco founder Gerry Ryan has been awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2026 Australia Day Honours List.

One of Australia's best known and most successful business identities, the award was in recognition of Ryan's significant contribution in the areas of business, tourism, hospitality, sports governance and philanthropy.

It adds to a long list of honours and awards for the outspoken septuagenarian, including being made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1999 and an inductee to both the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame and Victorian Government Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

A long-time supporter of Australian cycling and the driving force behind Australia’s first professional cycling team, Ryan was also inducted into the Cycling Australia Hall of Fame in 2015 and Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2024.

Ryan has made a significant impact across a range of pursuits over the past 50 years, including injecting major funds in both grass-roots and big-time sports. He's co-owned three Melbourne Cup winners, and played a big role in various hospitality and entertainment projects. 

His philanthropy includes support of 12 institutions and charities including the Royal Children's Hospital, Murdoch Children's Research Centre and Starlight Children's Foundation.

After starting off building camper trailers in the 1970s, Ryan has overseen Jayco's rise to Australia's biggest and most successful RV manufacturer.

The Melbourne-based company has rolled out more than 275,000 locally-built RVs over the past five decades and currently employs around 1000 people at the huge Jayco factory in Dandenong, Victoria.

Related: Hall of Fame honour for Jayco founder