John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)
Australian businessman
About John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)
Lived 1835 – 1910 (aged 75).
John Wright was a 19th-century Australian shipbuilder, sawmiller and businessman.
Wright adopted the local Worimi Aboriginal place name "Tuncurry" for the area north of Forster, which is said to mean "plenty fish". The Worimi people called John Wright "big boss" and "first fella". Before settling in Tuncurry, Wright sold his share of a sawmilling and shipwright business with Alexander Croll at Bungwahl on the Myall Lakes.
Wright's son Ernest was the first white child born in Tuncurry. Ernest successfully continued the shipbuilding business after John's death. Another son, Sidney Garden Wright managed a large sawmill known as Avalon Mill near Krambach. Sidney married a granddaughter of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. They had ten children in the Mid North Coast area near Tuncurry.
The water front land where the mill and shipyard stood at Tuncurry was gazetted as an area for public recreation and in 1962 was renamed John Wright Park.
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Important facts
People in John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)'s life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)'s
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)?
Australian businessman
When was John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller) born?
John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller) was born on 21 May 1835 in Banff, Aberdeenshire, Parish of Bellie, Scotland.
When did John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller) die?
John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller) died on 28 May 1910 in Tuncurry, New South Wales.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)
· DBpedia: John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller). https://biography.guide/john-wright-shipbuilder-sawmiller/
MLA: "John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-wright-shipbuilder-sawmiller/.
Chicago: "John Wright (shipbuilder-sawmiller)." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-wright-shipbuilder-sawmiller/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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