John Richardson (New Zealand politician)

Sir John Larkins Cheese Richardson (4 August 1810 – 6 December 1878) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician, and a cabinet minister.

Military career

Richardson was born in Bengal, India. His father was Robert Richardson, a civil servant of the East India Company who ran a silk factory. Richardson received his education at the East India Company College in Addiscombe, England. Afterwards, he was in the Bengal Horse Artillery, and rose to the rank of Major.^[1] He took part in the Afghan Campaign, 1842 and was decorated for gallantry for his part in the attack on Istalif. In 1845–1846 Richardson also took part in the First Anglo-Sikh War.^[1]

Political career

He was Superintendent of Otago Province 1861–1862. He then represented several electorates in Parliament: City of Dunedin in 1862 (resigned), then Dunedin and Suburbs North from 1863 to 1866, then Town of New Plymouth from 1866 to 1867, when he resigned.

He was then appointed to the Legislative Council, of which he was the Speaker from 1868 to 1879. He was knighted in 1874.

Richardson worked with Learmonth White Dalrymple to establish a girls' high school in Dunedin, and for women to be admitted as students of the University of Otago.^[2]

University of Otago

Richardson was an inaugural member of the council of the University of Otago in 1869, becoming the university's Chancellor in 1871, and was also a member of the New Zealand University Council. The University of Otago's tallest building, the Richardson Building, is named in his honour.

Richardson died at Dunedin on 6 December 1878^[1] and was buried at Dunedin Northern Cemetery.^[3]

References

• Morrell, W.P. (1969) The University of Otago: A centennial history. Dunedin: University of Otago Press.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.