OUR WRIGHT AND PRICE FAMILIES TO AUSTRALIA

BACK TO TASMANIA

The gold strikes at Beaconsfield Tasmania between 1877 and 1878 saw the WRIGHT family and also members of the PRICE family (who were returning to Tasmania after an absence of twenty six years) joined the throng to either 'strike it rich' or seek employment on the mine. Both families had members who were experienced miners from the Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo fields. Annie was returning to Tasmania not only with her husband and four children, but with her mother (Ann), other brothers (George and John) and a sister (Charlotte), and their families. The rest of the PRICE family were now married and remained in Victoria. Their known details are summarised at the end of this article and included on the family tree. Those who remain behind were:

Alice PRICE married Thomas ORAFFERTY at Victoria about 1862 (marriage not located) with 3 children.

James Peter PRICE married Emma SELLECK 1871 at Geelong with 10 children.

William Walter PRICE married Ann Jane WESTABY 1869 at Geelong with 6 children.

Frances Elizabeth PRICE married Abilyam ALLEN (from Sweden) 1868 at Geelong with 7 children.

Mary Ann PRICE married William Stanley PHILPOT 1870 at Geelong with 4 children.

Younger brother, George PRICE, came with his new bride, Sarah Ada OLDHAM and they subsequently had twelve children at Beaconsfield between 1881 and 1898. Ten of these children lived to adulthood and they are discussed in more detail later in this article. Daughter, Adelaide born August 9th 1887 died November 6th, 1888, aged fifteen months and son, Lawrence Roy born August 31st, 1895 died February 1st 1896 of “severe burns to body and head”, aged only five months, did not survive.

ANN WRIGHT (NEE PRICE) C1883

Photograph enlarged from locket in possession of Pat HEATHCOTE (nee GIRDLESTONE).

Annie’s youngest brother, John came to Beaconsfield as a single man. He married on June 20th 1885, aged 27 years, Mary Ann HORNSEY, aged 17 years, born Sorell Tasmania (daughter of Elizabeth Emery HORNSEY and unknown father), at Beaconsfield. John and Mary had four children, James Alexander born May 21st 1886, Charlotte Ann born October 10th 1887, John born May 3rd 1890 and Mary Josephine born August 10th 1892. Tragedy struck this family on October 22nd 1894 when Mary Ann died, aged only 27 years, and left John to bring up his four children, aged between two and eight years. My grandmother discusses George PRICE and his children later in this article but makes no mention of John PRICE and his family, perhaps he remarried and left the district prior to her birth.

On October 6, 1886 Alexander James WRIGHT, aged 19, years married Rose Grace HOCKING, aged 17 years, at Beaconsfield. The following year, on November 19, his elder brother John, miner, aged 23 years, married Florence Ethel MURFETT, 16 years, born Westbury Tasmania (daughter of Samuel MURFETT and Susan (nee JARMAN) of Westbury), also at Beaconsfield. Both marriages are destined to be short-lived. After only eight months of marriage Rose Grace WRIGHT died June 10, 1887 at Beaconsfield, aged 18 years.

The first grand-child, Albert John WRIGHT, was born on August 24, 1888 at Beaconsfield to John and Florence. Their second child, Ruby May WRIGHT was born at Beaconsfield on January 1, 1890. Tragedy again struck the WRIGHT family. Ruby Mary died on January 28, 1890 aged less that one month, followed by her mother, Florence Ethel on February 25, 1890, aged 18 years.

On March 11, 1890 Alexander James WRIGHT aged 23 years married Rosina Maria WALTERS aged 19 years, born Westbury Tasmania (daughter of Charles WALTERS and Eliza (nee MOORE) of Westbury), at Beaconsfield. Records reveal that Rosina's true age at marriage was 24 years. Their first child, Arthur Alexander WRIGHT was born on October 5, 1891 at Strahan Tasmania. Five weeks later, on November 13, 1891, he died. Their second child, Rosina Annie WRIGHT, was born at Beaconsfield on June 17, 1893.

As mentioned previously, it was reported that Alexander WRIGHT (Senior) was one of the first dental practitioners in Australia and no doubt practiced that profession part time whilst he carried out his various nominated occupations. Dentistry did not require qualifications in Australia until the passing of the Dental Act in 1894. An extract of a biography of Alexander James WRIGHT states:

Having finished his schooling, Dr Wright commenced his dental training under his father and Dr Bomford, of Beaconsfield Tasmania, under whose tuition he obtained an excellent knowledge of the principles and practices of dentistry. After practicing for five years in Tasmania Dr Wright left for Western Australia and became registered as a dentist of that State at the passing of the Dental Act of 1894.

The town of Beaconsfield is located on West Tamar Highway, 40km NW of Launceston with a present day population of 1200. In 1877 gold was found in respectable quantities (there had been smaller finds earlier), by William and David DALLY, on Cabbage Tree Hill, west of the present day Beaconsfield. William, David and their three brothers became major shareholders in the later mine, known as Tasmanian Gold Mine, which at one stage produced nearly 48% of Tasmania’s gold.

The area between Cabbage Tree Hill and Middle Arm became known as the ‘Brandy Creek Field’, and in 1877 was recognised as a town and granted a post office. The DALLY brothers appointed a Wesleyan preacher, Joseph DAVIES (fresh from the Ballarat goldfields), as their manager and the next year a Wesleyan Chapel and an Anglican Church were built. A Roman Catholic Church followed in 1890.

In 1879, the town was given the more dignified name of ‘ Beaconsfield’, after the then Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin DISRALI. During the ‘80s and ‘90s the town grew rapidly. By 1900, Beaconsfield was the third largest town in Tasmania, but water seepage into the mine shafts caused so many problems that, despite the fact that the possibilities of the gold seam had by no means been exhausted, the mines were closed down. From 1904 until its closure in 1914, the Tasmanian Gold Mine rewarded miners with ore to the value of over $6 million dollars. Although now in ruins, its Romanesque arches are still a dominant feature of the town.

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