OUR WRIGHT AND PRICE FAMILIES TO AUSTRALIA

ARRIVAL ALEXANDER WRIGHT

Alexander WRIGHT was born on October 10, 1833 at Beath Ayrshire Scotland, the son of John WRIGHT (Doctor of Medicine) and Jane (nee GARDINE). Nothing further is known of Alexander's parents. Whether they came to Australia or not is not known. Alexander's marriage certificate states that he was born in 1831 and death certificate indicates that he was born in 1832, and came to Australia in 1849, aged 17 years. A Family Tree compiled by Ann WRIGHT nominates Alexander as being born in 1833. A biography of his son, Alexander James states that his father arrived in Victoria in 1847, making him between 14 and 16 years of age at the time of his arrival.

Victorian shipping documents do not identify Alexander as arriving into that State but he may have arrived via Sydney or Hobart on a local passenger ship. Whatever the situation, I have been unable to locate Alexander's arrival or the circumstances around him coming to Australia. My grandmother indicated to me many years ago that she was told that he ran away from home and 'jumped ship' at Melbourne. She did not recall that to be the case in 1991, during an interview nor do shipping deserters lists for the period support that story. However it is still highly likely that Alexander came to Australia without his parents and that he did 'jump ship' at either Melbourne or another Australian port.

It is to be mentioned here that the maiden name of his mother was shown as GARINE on his subsequent marriage and appears to be an error as no such surname can be identified. It is most probably a transcription error by the registration officer and should read GARDINE, today most commonly recorded as JARDINE. Both spellings are common in Scotland.

Scottish church records do not reveal a marriage between John WRIGHT and Jane GARDINE although Church of Scotland records were the only denomination available for checking at the time of writing. Nor could any baptismal records be located for Alexander either in Beath, Ayrshire, or elsewhere.

My grandmother stated during an interview in 1991,

I don't know anything of Grandfather Wright or how he came to Australia. Grandma Wright never mentioned him. Grandma did tell me that her mother, Ann Price, used to hide her pipe under her apron when someone came to visit. She would often forget about the pipe and smoke would come pouring out. I didn't know that she was a convict.

A biography, located in 'The Cyclopaedia of Western Australia' by J. S. Battye, of Alexander James Wright (Alexander and Annie's second son) states in part,

.......is a son of the late Mr Alexander Wright, of Beathe (sic), Scotland, one of the first dental practitioners in Australia, who arrived in Victoria in 1847 and took part in the famous Eureka Stockade Riot, being slightly wounded in that memorable fray.

ALEXANDER WRIGHT c1883

This photograph is enlarged from locket in possession of Pat HEATHCOTE (nee GIRDLESTONE). This is the only known close-up photograph existing for Alexander WRIGHT (Senior).

A search of the Eureka Stockade records, including newspaper reports, published books and court trials do not mention Alexander as being involved or wounded at the riot. The records do reveal that many wounded persons left the stockade to return to their homes to hide and be treated for their injuries. Most of the numerous prospectors who were arrested did not even go to trial and many of them are not recorded on surviving documents. When the riot leaders were found 'not guilty' at their trials the balance of the arrested men were set free with no trial or conviction recorded against them.

It would appear that Alexander's early years in Australia were spent prospecting at Ballarat, which became a prosperous gold mining area in 1851.

The discovery of gold in the area in 1851 put Ballarat on the map. But it was the miner’s rebellion at the Eureka Stockade in 1854 that gave Ballarat its special place in our history. Armed and defiant diggers led by Peter Lalor erected a stockade and banded together in protest against the harsh license system, the military’s brutal tactics and their lack of political representation. On refusing to surrender, they were stormed by the troopers. Twenty-five miners and four soldiers were killed, but the Melbourne jury would not convict those arrested. The government quickly reformed its policy, reducing fees and extending the franchise to miners. In 1871, when Ballarat was declared a city, the population numbered 47 000.