1909 – 2024
The first boat designed and built by Norman was the Commonwealth, prior to starting the business. She was launched in 1906 on a Saturday morning, and according to a press clipping from the Courier Mail, she raced later that afternoon and won the Australian Title.
Norm’s first commission was the “Superb”, a shallow draught gaff-rigged center board yacht, built for James Hogan Smith. She was of shoal draft, typical for Moreton Bay, and of planked construction, likely in Kauri pine.
Smith lived on board “Superb” at the boatyard and went on to work for Norman Wright for the next 42 years.
No plans of Superb survive, however the original half model still exists and is hanging in the offices of Norman R. Wright & Sons today.
First ferry built for the Brisbane Municipal Council.
Tenders received on 2nd June 1914 for ferry 29′ x 9’8″ – E. Beattie £100; A. Whearet £99/10/6; N. Wright £98; C. Gaskin £95. Tender N. Wright accepted Ellen registered 25th November 1914
18ft Skiff Commssioned by Gilbert Forrest. Skipper G. Crouch
The Wright Tradition had its genesis when a young Norman Wright, already exposed to family boating on Bulimba reach of the Brisbane River, took a job at the yard of Bulimba boat builder J. H. Whereat. By age 21 he had already been promoted to foreman and was by this time a keen sailor and was crewing on racing skiffs.
At age 24, Norman, with the assistance of a keen yachtsman and business man, secured a loan to purchase a run down boat-building business in Newstead near the mouth of the Breakfast Creek as it enters the Brisbane River. The yard came with around 25 swing moorings.
Norman Wright – Boat Builder. The Original Shed at Newstead.
This is a view from Newstead House looking up the Bulimba Reach.
Norm’s first commercial commission of significance was the “Olivine II” for the Humpybong Steamship Company. Although Norm was not the designer (that was Frank Cowell) this 58ft commission firmly established the business as a viable concern and led to its early financial stability.
Oldest existing N. R. Wright boat. Lives in the Noosa River.
The years of optimism between the end of the First World War and the Great Depression were characterised by larger and more luxurious private vessels and tourist passenger ferries. Norman Wright’s were involved with many projects that made Australian boat building history, including the opulent private motor sailor Stradbroke II, the 75 ft schooner “Franscois” – largest racing yacht to be built by Wrights – and the infamous “Pathfinder” which was central to the Sydney murder investigation known as the “arm in the shark case”.
75ft Schooner designed & built by N. R. Wright.
Designed & built for Mr. W.G. Whatmore.
Length 94’ | Speed 11 knots
Designed & built for Mr. W.A. Russell.
Length 68’ | Speed 9 knots
The thirty’s were charactised great variety, including large passenger ferries for the Hayles Cruisers such as Marouba, Mirimar, Mirabel Racing Hydroplanes, Bay Boats, Racing Skiffs, Mission Vessels, Cargo Traders, Surf Boats and our first purposely commissioned Pilot Vessel.
The defining event of the decade however was the moving of the yard from Newstead to Quay St Bulimba1936 due to the Council resuming the business along this section of the river bank to make way for the relocation of the City Wharves to Newstead. The poor compensation from the Council was fortuitously offset by a find of 40 tonnes of valuable tin slag from a former foundry when digging the new slipways.
Pilot Vessel for Queensland Dept. Of Harbours and Marine
New Sheds and Slipway were built almost directly across the river in Bulimba and the yard was relocated.
News article of the day: Successful Launching. Mirimar, the largest motor launch to be built in Queensland, was launched on the Brisbane River on Wednesday night from the boatsheds of Norman Wright at Newstead. The boat has been built for Mr. E. R. Hayles, of Townsville, and is an excursion boat 90 feet in length, 18 feet 6 inches in beam, and designed to carry 300 passengers. It is expected the launch will be ready for service by August. She is the third vessel launched from the yards in two months. The Mirimar is powered with a 228 horsepower Gardner Diesel engine, and it is anticipated that she will develop a speed of 12½ knots. The woods used in construction were spotted gum, Queensland hardwood, and New Zealand kauri pine.
18 ft skift designed & built by N. R. Wright. World Champion 1938
Norman Wrights built 4 of these for the RAN
Built with a Caterpillar Engine 114HP Length 56’ | Speed 10 knots
Following the outbreak of war in 1939, and particularly after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941, the building of recreational craft was suspended in the wake of a wholesale diversion of resources towards the military effort.
The military authorities engaged the Norman Wright yard to refit all types of small vessels for cargo work. The famous ‘Fairmiles’ was well known in war and the Navy commissioned Norman Wright to build four of their 112 ft patrol boats, known for their pace and effectiveness.
After the return to peace in the late 1940’s, there was a great demand for work boats such as trawlers, luggers, and vessels for the tourist resorts. During this period, the yard built boats for the Barrier Reef islands of Lindeman, South Molle, Orpheus, Magnetic and Hayman
By the 1950’s, Norman Wright’s sons had increasingly assumed responsibility for the day to day operation. Ronald Wright was already an experienced boat builder and completed a university degree in Naval Architecture to become Queensland’s first Naval Architect.
Ron, Norman Snr & Norman Jnr at the Quay Street Office.
Designed & built for L. Mee. Cruised the South Pacific. Length 75’ | Speed 11.2 knots
Built for Kevin Alexander. Length 57’ | Speed 9.5 knots
The sixties saw the departure of the younger Norman from the company but also heralded an onslaught of innovation in design and construction as Ron took on more and more of the designing and management roles.
The yard produced yachts at the cutting edge of technology during this period, epitomised in the ‘Beryl May’ (later renamed South Pacific II) in 1961 and ‘Bali Hai’ in 1964.
Ron continued to assert his design talent, creating the first 24 knot pilot boats ‘Flinders’ and ‘Oxley’ which nearly exceeded their lifespan threefold in service and the streamlined motor yacht ‘Dolphin’. During this period he cemented his prominence in naval design, gaining the enviable reputation of being one of, if not the, finest naval architects in Australia.
Designed & built for Clyde Industries. First large cold moulded boat. Length 62’6 | Speed 20 knots
With the passing of Norman Senior, Ron’s two sons entered the business, working their way up through the yard, already showing promise with elder son Bill winning ‘Apprentice of the Year’ and younger son Ian displaying the outstanding sailing skills of his descendents.
In 1982 they assumed the role of the running the company with the construction of the 108 foot charter vessel ‘Elizabeth E II’.
Boats of such calibre as ‘Wyllaway’, ‘New Horizon’, ‘Laura J’ and ‘White Haven’ followed as the brothers stamped their mark upon the business.
Length 108 ’ | Speed 10 knots
Built for Mr. John McPhee. Length 83.9 ’ | Speed 27 knots
Designed and built for Admiral John Hunt RAN. Still in operation. Length 39’ | Speed 19 knots
Designed & built for the Peabody family. Length 101’ | Speed 28.9 knots.
The 1990s heralded a renaissance of boat building at the yard, with the production of such masterpieces as ‘Whistler’, ‘Restless’ and ‘Annabelle’, and foretold of the exquiste workmanship that would later be displayed on boats such as ‘Terna’, ‘Lionheart’ and ‘Bandanna’.
These projects are demonstrative of Norman Wrights endeavor to keep up with the ever-changing technologies available. The ‘pilot boat’ developments are another prominent example of this. These vessels evolved from boat to boat, receiving feedback from the operators and the prompt resolution of any problems that needed addressing.
The structure of the boats became stronger and lighter and the latest boats were designed to withstand “roll-over”. The developments from these boats spread into the boats built today.
Restored for Dennis O’Neil and John David. Our brief was Day-Sailing on Sydney Harbour. Length 118’’
The company continues to maintain its pre-eminent position within the boat building industry, constructing multiple new generation City Cats, completing refits on a whole new scale and continuing to produce quality pleasure and commercial crafts of the highest quality. Bill and Ian Wright continue to strive to maintain this success and uphold the prestigious reputation their family business has built over a one hundred years of history.
Norman R Wright and Sons has produced a vast variety of boat builders who in turn established their own businesses.
Designed & built for Adrian Yates. Length 58’ | Speed 34 knots.
Lionheart at the Sandhills, Moreton Island. Length 100 ’ | Speed 12 knots.
Designed & build for Ian and Jen Holman. Length 62’ | Speed 11 knots.
18 foot skiff built for Peter Cavill. Replica of a 1949 original design.
Length 60’ | Speed 40 knots plus
Current Brisbane premises for Norman R. Wright & Sons with 54 staff.
