Harry Wright

Story

Harry Wright was born on 22nd November 1866 in Cromer Hyde, near Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England into a family with a strong farming tradition for many generations. His mother, Emma nee Lake, died just 6 days after his birth and when his father, George, died in 1887 his three youngest sons decided to emigrate to Queensland, Australia.

Harry, the youngest of ten children, left London on 20th November 1888 with two of his brothers, Fred & Albert, on the ‘Taroba’ as steerage passengers. The ‘Taroba’ arrived at Peel Island in quarantine on 7th January 1889. Saloon and Second class passengers landed on 11th January and the immigrants landed at Brisbane on 15th January. The three brothers later traveled to Townsville by coastal steamer ‘Qunaing’ or ‘Lunaning’.

From there they continued north to the town of Geraldton, now known as Innisfail, which had been settled in 1880. By 1888 the population of the town and district fluctuated with season of the year, being almost double in the sugar cane crushing season. The permanent population was estimated to consist of about 700 white people, 400 Chinese, and 900 others including Kanakas, Cingalese, Malays and Javanese.

Harry married Bridget O\’Connell from Ireland, at the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel on 2nd July 1893. Bridget was listed as a servant and Harry as a labourer. They were both living in Geraldton. Their marriage must have been amongst the earliest at the Catholic Church which had only been completed in 1891.

Soon after their marriage Harry and Bridget moved to Stockton Road, Geraldton where their first daughter Annie was born on 14th April 1894. Harry was still working as a labourer. By August the following year when their second child, Frederick John, was born at nearby Goondi, Harry was working as a contractor. The family continued to grow with their third child, Henry born in January 1897. Sadly Henry died later that same year. Next followed William Vincent (1898), Eileen Mary (1900), Mary Bridget (1903), Henry George Ð known as George (1905), Albert Patrick (1908), Kathleen Margaret (1912) and Margery Monica (born 1913).

Fred & Harry Wright were the successful tenderers for clearing a track to Combo Creek mining area for the Johnstone Divisional Board. They also had a contract removing stumps from the telegraph line and for roads. They used a tree puller with horses and they had a big block and tackle. They\’d dig the stumps out, chop them by hand and level them off afterwards.

By 1897 Harry was working as a Fireman in the Locomotive Branch of the Northern Railway of Queensland. He was an engineman by 1900 with a wage of 10 shillings per day. In November 1900 the first section of the Geraldton tramway was officially opened for traffic. Work had been assisted by the arrival of the first of two steam locomotives from England. The drivers of these first two engines were Messrs Wright and Kelly. In 1914 the former Geraldton Tramway staff were transferred to the Queensland railway staff as part of the conditions of the takeover of Geraldton Tramway by the Government Commissioner for Railways. Included amongst their ranks were drivers Martin McNamara, Bob Bliss, Tom Cheshire and Harry Wright. Harry was still listed as a locomotive driver in the 1936 electoral roll.

By 1903 the family was living at 5 Charles Street, Innisfail. Charles Street was only about 50 yards from Bamboo Creek, the home of the Johnstone River Crocodile, a fresh water variety. Being so close to the creek the area was subject to flooding with residents being evacuated to higher ground, namely the Catholic Church and the White Horse Hotel, during the large 1913 flood. The 10th March 1918 was to bring the worst cyclone in Innisfail\’s history. The Wrights lost their home during the cyclone and took cover with their neighbours Ð the Noone family. They continued to live with the Noone family until their home was rebuilt.

On Saturday 20th September 1941, his wife, BRIDGET Wright, died at the District Hospital, Innisfail, following a fall where she fractured her femur.

Harry Wright, a pensioner, aged 80 yrs, died at the District Hospital, Innisfail on 8 December 1946. They are both buried at the Innisfail Cemetery.

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