‘Foundation of everything going on in Franklin’: John Young celebrated as community visionary

‘Franklin would not be the same if they hadn’t moved here.’: John Young along with his late wife Ruth are being remembered for their unique impact on the wooden boatbuilding community.

Ruth and John Young. Picture: supplied

Founder of the Wooden Boat Centre and a stalwart of the Franklin community John Young died on the weekend and is being remembered as a visionary for driving the resurgence in wooden boat building.

Mr Young was 91-years-old and his passing comes after his wife Ruth died in December last year.

Both have been remembered as a change-making pair for the township of Franklin.

The couple moved to the Huon Valley after Mr Young retired as a history lecturer at the University of South Australia.

His daughter Sue said the move was fuelled by his passion to continue boating.

John Young (left).

“Franklin was just a place with wonderful natural resources for them,” Ms Young said.

“Dad has always loved boats and always believed in the importance of collective action on projects to build social capital and connection and community.

“Franklin was the ideal place to do that kind of thing.”

They founded the Shipwright’s Point School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Huon because of a desire to create a space for people to learn boatbuilding and retaining the history and skill of the trade in Tasmania.

The school has since become the Wooden Boat Centre that continues to strengthen the community, forging Franklin as a hub for boat building.

Ms Young said her father was the “vision man”, with her mother the practical planner who kept projects guided; a yin and yang.

Both were heavily involved in the restoration of the 113-year-old Palais Theatre in the township, as well as the Franklin Progress Association and the community organisation the Living Boat Trust (LBT).

They previously helped to set-up the sail training tall ship The One and All in Adelaide.

“I think I just remember how inclusive they both were,” Ms Young said.

John Young on the waters of the Huon River in Franklin. Picture: supplied

“With training people to sail and running boat projects in Franklin, they always included everyone and worked with everyone.

“He was an example of someone who made a difference and saw problems and fixed them, so was mum.”

LBT committee member Martin Riddle said the couple were “pillars of the community”.

“They were the foundation of everything going on in Franklin,” he said.

“They were passionate about getting people on the water and by association the Wooden Boat Centre and LBT.

“John had this idea that by value-adding and developing fine craftsmanship in the school, they could change the perception of Tasmania’s natural resources.

“Franklin would not be the same if they hadn’t moved here.”

Wooden Boat Centre president Anne Holst said the pair were “hugely influential” in reigniting the area’s passion for wooden boats.

“They were a friend and inspiration to the wooden boating and Franklin community,” she said.

“Maintaining the craft of traditional wooden boatbuilding skills today owes a huge debt to John and Ruth for starting the school with those values.”

Originally published as ‘Foundation of everything going on in Franklin’: John Young celebrated as community visionary