| Activity | Educated at the Royal Free Grammar School, Newcastle. He eloped to America with Catherine Broadbent in 186. Richard and Catherine returned to the UK because of Mrs Broadbent's delicate health, after her death Richard and Catherine decided to settle in Australia, and in 1884 he became City Surveyor in Hobart Town, Tasmania. In Tasmania he developed his love for seaweeds and mosses, becoming a collector and recorder.
He left the colony for Victoria in 1888 arriving aboard the 'Mangana' on March 13, In Victoria he continued with his field work and enthusiastic presentation of papers at the Field Naturalists Club and Royal Society of Victoria. He was a Fellow of the Linnaen Society of London between 1885 and 1889. In Victoria he initially worked privately but later became an employee of the Public Works Department until his retirement. His work in Victoria included the original Fish Market in Melbourne.
In 1920 he donated to the National Museum, Melbourne his collection of more than 10,000 molluscs. |