Sir Richard Watkins Richards (19 July 1863 – 12 March 1920), commonly referred to as R. W. Richards, was Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1914–1915 and 1919–1920.[1]
Sir Richard Watkins Richards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 46th Lord Mayor of Sydney | |
| In office 1 January 1914 – 31 December 1915 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur Cocks |
| Succeeded by | Richard Meagher |
| In office 11 March 1919 – 12 March 1920 | |
| Preceded by | John English |
| Succeeded by | William Patrick Fitzgerald |
| Alderman of the Sydney City Council | |
| In office 1 December 1902 – 25 November 1905 | |
| In office 2 December 1912 – 30 November 1915 | |
| Constituency | Cook Ward |
| In office 23 May 1917 – 12 March 1920 | |
| Constituency | Lang Ward |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 July 1863 Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Died | 12 March 1920 (aged 56) Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, Australia |
| Spouse(s) | Minnie Adeline Booth (m. 1890–1920; his death) |
Early life and career
editRichards was born in Wales in 1863 and came to New South Wales as a child. He was appointed City Surveyor in 1887 and retained this position until 1901.[2][3][4][5][6] In 1919 he was appointed as a Director on the board of Sydney Hospital.[7]
He was appointed to Dunedin City Council as Town Clerk and City Engineer in 1905 and was responsible for designing the first underground conveniences in this city, after designing the first one in Sydney 24 May 1901.[8] His voluminous report into the options around underground facilities brought Dunedin into a new age of modernity around publicly supplied facilities.[9] His plans can be found in the Dunedin City Council Archives.[10] He resigned from Dunedin City Council in 1911 and returned to Sydney where he went into private practice.
Political career
editHe was knighted in the 1920 New Year Honours but died three months later after a long illness.[11][12]
Richards was buried on 13 March 1920 at South Head Cemetery, Vaucluse, New South Wales.[13]
Footnotes
edit- ^ "Richard Watkins Richards". Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "Sir Richard Richards". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 25, 581. New South Wales, Australia. 1 January 1920. p. 4. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT". The World's News. No. 943. New South Wales, Australia. 10 January 1920. p. 9. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Appointment of Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney for the Year 1920". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 12. New South Wales, Australia. 16 January 1920. p. 287. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "NEW LORD MAYOR". The Daily Telegraph. No. 12429. New South Wales, Australia. 12 March 1919. p. 9. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Lord Mayor Alderman Richards Elected". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 25, 329. New South Wales, Australia. 12 March 1919. p. 10. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 210. New South Wales, Australia. 22 August 1919. p. 4637. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Dunedin City Council, "Dunedin City Council Annual Report 1905-6"
- ^ Public Health Matters, Evening Star, Issue 12717, 18 July 1907
- ^ "Manor Place Comfort Station 1919". December 1919.
- ^ "NEW YEAR HONOURS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 25, 581. New South Wales, Australia. 1 January 1920. p. 5. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "LORD MAYOR'S DEATH". The Daily Telegraph. No. 12, 742. New South Wales, Australia. 13 March 1920. p. 11. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "LATE LORD MAYOR". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 25, 644. New South Wales, Australia. 15 March 1920. p. 6. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
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