Alexander Robert Richardson
(1847-1931) pastoralist
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.
Early life
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.
Business career
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.
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