Henry Caselli Richards

Henry Caselli Richards
H.C. Richards, first Professor of Geology at the University of Queensland, Photo courtesy of the University of Queensland Archives September 1947 S170
Born	(1884-12-16)December 16, 1884 Melton, Australia
Died	June 13, 1947(1947-06-13) (aged 62)
Nationality	Australian
Fields	geologist
Education	Box Hill Grammar, South Melbourne College
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Notable awards	Clarke Medal

Henry Caselli (H.C) Richards (16 December 1884 – 13 June 1947), was an Australian professor of geology, academic and teacher.

Richards was born in Melton, Victoria and was educated at Box Hill Grammar, South Melbourne College and the University of Melbourne, obtaining a B.Sc. in 1906, M.Sc. in 1909 and D.Sc. in 1915.

Richards worked on the geological survey of Victoria in 1906-07 while still an undergraduate student. He went to work for de Bavay and Company in Broken Hill, and then took up a position as a scholar and demonstrator at the University of Melbourne. In 1910, Richards took up a position teaching in the Chemistry, Geology and Mining Department of the Central Technical College (CTC), in the Government House Domain of George Street, Brisbane (forerunner of Queensland Institute of Technology). He successfully applied to be a lecturer at the newly formed University of Queensland in 1911. Both the CTC and University of Queensland geology classes would share some of the same buildings in George Street, Brisbane, until the University moved to the St Lucia campus in 1950.

Richards was interested in the building stones of both Victoria, and later his adopted home of Queensland. He published two papers on the building stones of Brisbane, especially Helidon sandstone and was an advisor on the plans for the building work of the University of Queensland in 1930 to 1931 and again in 1938, among other projects.

Richards would be a dynamic force for the Geology Department, the Faculty of Science and the University during its early years. In 1919, Richards became the University's first geology professor. He was Dean of the Faculty of Science, President of the Board of Faculties, President of the Staff Association, on the University Senate, Chairman of Public Exams Committee, Music Advisory Board and many others. In 1946, Richards was Professor of Geology, Deputy Chancellor of the university, Chairman of Trustees of the National Art Gallery, President of the Art Galleries and Museums Association of Australia and New Zealand, Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Committee and many others. He led geology camps to Spicer's Gap and the Great Barrier Reef. His wife would be a chaperone for the female students, on many camps and dances held at the fledgling University. Dorothy Hill would become one of the students of the Geology Department in 1925, and found him to be a great mentor of the Science students. He encouraged her to apply for a Foundation Travelling Scholarship to the University of Cambridge in 1929, which she won.