Alexander Richardson (Australian politician)
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The Honourable Alexander Richardson |
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| Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia |
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In office 14 June 1887 – 21 October 1890 |
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| Preceded by | McKenzie Grant |
| Succeeded by | None (abolished) |
| Constituency | North |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia |
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In office 4 December 1890 – 26 April 1897 |
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| Preceded by | None (new creation) |
| Succeeded by | E. T. Hooley |
| Constituency | De Grey |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
4 July 1847 Islington, London, England |
| Died | 2 May 1931 (aged 83) South Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
Alexander Robert Richardson (4 July 1847 – 2 May 1931) was an Australian pastoralist and politician. He made a fortune through the development of pastoral leases in the North-West, and later served in both houses of the Parliament of Western Australia. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1887 to 1890 and a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1890 to 1897, and served as a minister in the government of John Forrest.
Richardson was born in Islington, London, England, to Jane (née Anderson) and Thomas Elliot Richardson. His parents were Scottish (his father being a Presbyterian minister), and before living in London had been resident in Tasmania, where Richardson's older brother, John Elliott Richardson (also a member of parliament) was born. Soon after Richardson's birth, the family left for Victoria, settling in Portland. His father eventually left the ministry and purchased a newspaper, the Portland Guardian. Richardson worked on the Guardian for a brief period, and then went to work on some of the nearby pastoral leases owned by his relatives.
In 1864, Richardson and his brother were involved in the formation of the Portland Squatting Co., which sought to exploit liberal land regulations in other colonies. They sailed to Western Australia the following year with 1,600 sheep, arriving in Cossack and later venturing further in the Pilbara, where they established Pyramid Station. After a few years, Richardson and his brother bought out their other partners, and expanded their holdings to include runs along the Fortescue River. In 1874, Richardson moved to a farming property in Serpentine (near Perth), although he retained (and continued to expand) his property in the North-West. In 1880, he severed commercial ties with his brother and with several others (including two other future MPs, William Paterson and Samuel Elliott) formed the Murray Squatting Company. The company subsequently developed a property in the Kimberley, which became known as Yeeda Station; they later acquired additional properties in the same region.
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