Wright, Anthony J. (Tony) (1937 - 2025)

Summary

Tony Wright was a palaeontologist highly-regarded for his research on fossils in Ordovician, Silurian & Devonian Systems mainly in Australia and New Zealand. He focused on of rugose and tabulate corals, trilobites, brachiopods, and graptolites, becoming a world-leading specialist in operculate corals of Silurian and Devonian ages. Much of his work, done in collaboration with Barrie Rickards of the University of Cambridge, significantly advanced knowledge of Silurian graptoloids and dendroids in Australia. For much of his career Wright was at the University of Wollongong, retiring as Association Professor in geology in 1997. He was the principal organiser of the conference "Palaeobiogeography of Australasian Faunas and Floras" held at the University in 1999, the proceedings of which became the "go-to" reference for basic information on the stratigraphic distribution of Australasian fossils. A long-term member of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists, Wright was Editor of its journal Alcheringa from 2001 to 2006. He was also active in the Linnean Society of New South Wales, serving on council for 14 years and being President 1982 - 1983.

Details

Chronology

1960

Education - BSc (hons), University of Sydney

1965 - 1968

Award - Linnean Macleay Fellowship, (geology), Linnean Society of New South Wales

1966

Education - PhD, University of Sydney

1966 - 1969

Career position - Lecturer in Geology, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand

1970 - 1971

Career position - On the teaching staff, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A.

1971 - 1997

Career position - Lecturer (later Associate Professor) in geology, University of Wollongong

1974 - 1987

Career position - Member of Council, Linnean Society of New South Wales

1975 - 2025

Career position - Member, Association of Australasian Palaeontologists

1982 - 1983

Career position - President, Linnean Society of New South Wales

1997

Life event - Retired

1999

Career position - Organiser, Palaeobiogeography of Australasian Faunas and Floras Conference, Wollongong

2000 - 2025

Career position - Fellow, Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge

2001 - 2006

Career position - Editor, Alcheringa

2007 - 2010

Career position - Editorial advisor, Alcheringa

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Jones, B. G., Carr, P. F. and Wright, A. J., 'Silurian and Early Devonian geochronology - a reappraisal, with new evidence from the Bungonia Limestone', Alcheringa, 5 (1981), 197-207. Details
• McLean, Ross A. and Wright, Anthony J., 'The rugose coral Phillipsastrea D'Orbigny and other plocoid genera in the late Silurian to Early Devonian of eastern Australia: revision of previously assigned species and new records', Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists, 55 (2021), 1-88, https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.172349316574668. Details
• Percival, Ian, 'Honorary Principal Fellow Anthony (Tony) Wright (1937 - 2025)', Nomen nudum, 45 (2026), 14-21, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/66445c2af7ed4873076d7c66/t/6a02b6befcbab81330afb4a6/1778562750984/NN45_DRAFT_3-compressed+%28v2%29.pdf. Details
• Rickards, R. B., Packham, G .H., Wright, A. J. and Williamson, P. L., 'Wenlock and Ludlow graptolite faunas of the Quarry Creek district, New South Wales', Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists, 17 (1995), 1-68. Details
• Wright, A. J., Pickett, J. W., Sewell, D., Roberts, J. and Jenkins, T. B.H., 'Corals and conodonts from the Late Devonian Mostyn Vale Formation, Keepit, New South Wales', Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists, 10 (1990), 211-54. Details