Edward George Wright

Wright was born in Woolwich, Kent, England, in 1831. After an education in private schools, he worked for Fox, Henderson and Co. He was the engineer for the gasworks in Rome and then worked on the naval dockyards at Royal Arsenal in Woolwich and then Aldershot. He married in September 1854 at London and went to New Zealand with his wife and their first two sons in 1857, with another one born in their chosen country.[1]

In Canterbury, he was responsible for many of the engineering works, especially bridges.[1]

He represented the Coleridge electorate from 1879 to 1881, then the Ashburton electorate from 1881 to 16 May 1884, when he resigned.[2] He unsuccessfully contested the 1885 by-election for Wakanui. In the 1887 election, he contested the Avon electorate, but was defeated by Edwin Blake.[3]

He was successful again in the 1890 election in the Ashburton electorate. In the 1893 election, he was defeated in the Rangitata electorate. He was once again successful in the 1896 election in the Ashburton electorate. He retired at the end of the parliamentary term in 1899.[2]

Wright was chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board for four periods.[1]

Wright died at his homestead Windermere, after which a locality between Hinds and Winslow is named, on 12 August 1902.[1] He was survived by his wife and five children.[4] He was buried at Windermere Church.[5]