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Among the distinguished pioneers who held government appointments in the early days of Queensland was Archibald John Richardson, who though dead for many years, will still be remembered by quite a number of old residents. Another reason why Mr. Richardson should not be forgotten is that he left a numerous family, some of whom still reside in the town and district.

HIS EARLY LIFE

Mr. Richardson was born in Great Britain in 1841, and was the descendant of an old family in the highlands of Scotland. In consequence of his parents dying when he was a child he was adopted by his cousin, Sir John Richardson, who will be remembered as an explorer of the Arctic regions. Sir John evidently did his best by his young protégé, for he learned surveying and probably civil engineering, his aspirations being for a life in the open.

When he came of age in 1862 young Richardson thought he would try his fortunes in the new state of Queensland, and accordingly took ship for Australia. From his credentials he had no difficulty in securing a position in the Government Survey Department, and was sent to Rockhampton.

As it happened the Governor of Queensland, Sir George Ferguson Bowen, in 1862 paid an official visit to the extreme northern most point of Queensland, at Port Albany, and he warmly advocated to the Imperial Government to The desirableness of establishing a settlement in that neighbourhood for the purpose of forming a base for trade with the islands in the vicinity. The Queensland Government was also impressed by the suggestion, and the next year they decided to carry out the recommendation.

Mr John Jardine, an experienced squatter, at that time police magistrate at Rockhampton, was appointed to form the recommended settlement, and as he had two sons with bush experience, and an ardent desire for exploring, it was finally decided to establish the settlement in the north partly by going overland and taking a mob of cattle for breeding purposes.

The idea, except for the difficulty and danger of such an undertaking, was an admirable one, and it was finally decided that this exploring trip should be at once carried out, with the Jardine brothers as first and second in command, and young Richardson who was no doubt a warm friend of the Jardines, as third in command, and also the surveyor and geographer. It was this adventurous and dangerous expedition, which has already been somewhat lengthily described in these sketches, that young Richardson, who was then only 23, with two leaders who were still younger, had a thorough initiation into the terrible hardships and privations, including semi starvation and sickness, that most explorers undergo, largely in the interest of the public. This particular expedition lasted five months through rough unknown land, with a small party, but badly equipped with food and ammunition, from the camp being partly burned out through the carelessness of someone whilst the Jardines were out scouting. These five months, through terrible hardships, in at times incessant rains, flooded country, and almost daily fighting with hostile blacks, must have appeared like a lifetime. That the party all got through, with a considerable number of the cattle they left Carpentaria Downs with, is in the writers opinion, one of the finest exploring feats of the many accomplished in Australia. A detailed account of the expedition was written by Mr Richardson, was sent to the Royal Geographical Society, and published.

BECOMES LAND COMMISSIONER.

Having recuperated after the enervating experience of the Jardine experience Mr. Richardson was appointed by the Government District Surveyor and Land Commissioner for the Port Curtis and Leichhardt Districts. This was a position he held with satisfaction to the Government and the public for nearly 30 years.

During that period he was a justice of the peace, and a member of several learned societies. He devoted a considerable amount of his spare time in research on scientific subjects, and many of his drawings where photographed by order of the surveyor general and hung in the walls of the institute of the Royal Geographical Society. He also contributed largely to the literature of several learned societies, and took a keen interest in aerial flight. He spent money and time in these experiments, but he did not live to see any of them carried to a success, thought death in December 1900.

HIS SCHEME FOR A WATER SUPPLY.

Among other subjects Mr. Richardson studied was the subject of supplying Rockhampton with an adequate water supply. The writer is unable to recall the details of Mr. Richardson’s scheme, but he went further afield than Yaamba, though he stuck to the Fitzroy River. He considered that by going further up the river the supply would be purer than at Yaamba, while the volume of water would be equal if not in excess. The spot Mr. Richardson selected was somewhere in the vicinity of the Rookwood crossing, and although the distance was greater than from Yaamba, the level was such as presented no great obstacle. The scheme attracted a good deal of attention at the time, in consequence of the clear and scientific manner in which the particulars where given. The suggestion, however, did not come to anything, probably because the expense would be greater than the Yaamba scheme as then estimated.

THE GEM DISCOVERY.

If a particular reason where needed why Mr. Richardson’s memory should be kept green in Rockhampton and district it could be the fact that he was the discoverer of the beautiful sapphires and other gems in the vicinity of Anakie. This discovery was made in 1878, and it would not be surprising if Mr. Richardson expected that the find would benefit him largely in a financial matter. To this end he leased the land in the vicinity of where the discovery had been made, and without monetary assistance from any person he set to work to open up and prospect the area he had secured. It was a big undertaking and development was necessarily slow.

In 1890 Mr. Richardson took in a partner for his venture, Mr. F.G. Fisher, and then the necessary plant was obtained the treat the gem laden “wash” in a proper manner. Among others who examined some of the gems obtained was the late H. L. Jack, at that period Chief Government Geologist. Dr Jack’s dictum was that some of the sapphires where of great value, and quite as fine as the sapphires thought so highly of in Europe. But for some reason the public, though acknowledging the beauty of the sapphires, where not able to understand there commercial value.

After spending a large amount of money in the fruitless attempt to overcome the prejudices against these splendid Queensland gems, Mr. Richardson and his partner, for want of funds, where compelled to relinquish the land they held and also the valuable machinery. The whole concern found a purchaser at £90 only. This was in 1893, so that Mr. Richardson had struggled for 15 years in the disheartening attempt to make the public appreciate gems of the beauty of which everyone admitted.

The irony of this heartbreaking struggle was that many of the sapphires purchased at a ridiculously small price, where taken to London, Paris, and elsewhere and sold as gems of the approved European quality. The year Mr. Richardson died 1900 the Anakie sapphires began to come into the market, and since then the amount received for the gems, so far as a record has been officially kept, reached a total £3545,335 up till the end of 1923. The only satisfaction Mr. Richardson’s children have at such tardy success, is that there father’s convinced belief and judgement of the value of the gems have been fully vindicated by results he did not live to see.

IN LIGHTER VEIN

So much of Mr. Richardson’s time was spent in the country districts that his recreations and amusements where comparatively few. He was a more than usually clever billiard player for one who had but few opportunities for practice, and the writer has watched him play many games with great interest. It was always amusing when Richardson, Alec Jardine, Knox Darcy, Wilbraham, and a few others got together at the Queen’s Criterion, or Leichhardt billiard rooms. There was no playing in silence for these young bushmen used to chaff each other unmercifully , and keep the spectators in a ripple of laughter. Wilbraham was a specially witty and sometimes rather sarcastic conversationalist, and his sallies would cause much fun to listeners. Richardson took his billiards more seriously and puffing away at his pipe he would keep his mind concentrated on the game rather than the jokes flying around. Sometimes “Paddy” Wilson and Alec Laurie would be among the players, and then the laughter that would follow that would follow the “chaffing” going on, was very genuine. All of those whose names are mentioned have long since departed to the spirit world, as well as the landlords of the hotels, and even the billiard rooms have disappeared.

FAMILY MATTERS

In 1871, Mr. Richardson married Miss. Lucy D’Arcy a daughter of Mr. W. K. D’Arcy, a Devonshire solicitor, and a sister of Knox D’Arcy, of Mount Morgan fame, who became a millionaire. The wedded couple resided on a prominent spot on Athelstane Range, and where blessed with a numerous family, who subsequently were well known in the town and district.

The firstborn was a daughter Lala and then followed several boys in quick succession. As a child Lala had to fight for her position as ruler in the nursery, So it is not surprising that she grew up somewhat assertive and outspoken. It was characteristic of her that she would always express her opinion of people and things in the most free and convincing manner. She could swim, play cricket, and outshine some of her brothers in many games. Her studies where not neglected. She was a good musician, and as she grew older she developed a literary taste. She wrote many poems of a lyrical type and published a book of them during a visit to England which received favourable letters. Subsequently she published other small volumes in Australia, which likewise received well merited enology. She contributed copiously to Sydney papers at one period, and was the editoress of one or two theatrical periodicals. She married Mr. F. G. Fisher by whom she had two sons, who are now grown up and are understood to be in England. Latest accounts about Mrs. Fisher are that her health is not so good as could be wished. She was to apt, perhaps, to disregard conventionalities, but she had a kindly disposition, with a heart to feel and a brain to understand. Her poem “Forgotten,” in memory of her father and his lonely grave concluded as follows:

“I can forget him not,
And if the blood from my heart could pass
I’d shed it at this spot,
That sinking down at night
Distil one message through the tangled grass
To his unbroken night.”
Of Mr. Richardson’s sons the elder ones, “Jack” and “Dink,” will be remembered as pre-eminent armature cyclist and Rugby Union Football players, and latter chiefly in connection with the old Wanderers Club. They have been out of the writers ken for some years.

Mr. L. Richardson, another athletic son married Miss Ross, of Taranganba and with his wife and numerous family has resided in Brisbane for some years.

Mr. M. Richardson, the youngest son, and two other daughters, the Misses Peta and Josephine, with the widowed mother, left for England a number of years ago. Since then Mrs. Richardson who attained a venerable age, has died, but her children are believed to be still living in the old land.

ANOTHER A. J. RICHARDSON

The foregoing Mr. A. J. Richardson must not be confused with another worthy old pioneer of the same name and initials, who resided in Rockhampton from the early days till his death many years since. The latter married a Miss Buttery, who prior to her marriage was well an favourably known in musical circles, her services being always gratuitously available for amateur concert and entertainments for charitable purposes. Both husband and wife were highly regarded by all with whom they were acquainted. For many years Mr. Richardson owned a firewood mill and depot on the north bank of the river just below the Fitzroy Bridge. Mrs. Richardson died about two years ago at an advanced age, leaving an only son.