The Collection of Medals formed by the late Ron Wright

Ron Wright

Ron was a collector who had a love of shipping, military history and travel. Born in Melbourne, Australia, he later grew up in Geelong. While at school he became interested in shipping, often riding his bike to the docks where his knowledge of both merchant and naval ships began. In 1964 he sailed to the U.S.A. aboard P&O’s SS Arcadia, to attend Plattsburg High School, Missouri, as a Rotary Exchange student. He returned to Australia in 1965 on SS Oronsay, completing his secondary schooling at Geelong College and then a Master’s Degree in Commerce at Melbourne University.

Ron moved to Canberra in 1973 to join the Department of Defence. In 1983 he was posted to the Ministry of Defence in London for two years, living in Cobham, Surrey. In the school holidays there were many road trips to explore the U.K. and parts of Europe where Ron developed his knowledge and understanding of the battlefields of military history. It was at this time that he purchased his first medal and so began a whole new direction in collecting. The fairs and auctions which were held fuelled his interest further. His love of military history was now enriched by collecting medals to those men recorded in these pages of history. And he was able to share his interest, both in Australia and overseas, with those of similar ilk in the O.M.R.S. Ron also had an affinity for the city of Portsmouth, where he honed his shipping photography skills, returning to England in 2008 to see Portsmouth Football Club win the F.A. Cup at Wembley.

Ron spent his working life in Defence and rose to the position of Acting Inspector General of Defence. His work involved travelling overseas to many destinations including Canada, the United Kingdom, China, Norway, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines and New Zealand. Privately, he always loved to travel whenever possible and in later years enjoyed many cruises exploring parts of the world he had not previously seen. In his retirement years, his collecting interest saw him combining his love of military history and shipping. He built up a collection of original, crested nautical china from early merchant ships and also regimental china. He had a particular interest in collecting china used onboard ships that operated on the Australian coastline and rivers during Australia’s early years. He was an enthusiastic reader and developed an extensive library in his fields of interest.

Ron died in Canberra, Australia, and is survived by his wife Andrea, sons David and James and five granddaughters, all of whom miss him greatly. With his wealth of knowledge and attention to detail, Ron had a special collection in which each item was typically unique in some way and had a story behind it. We hope his medals find their way to collectors who share his passion.