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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

The Hon. George Francis Richardson

The Hon. George Francis Richardson, who was Minister of Lands and Immigration from the 8th of October, 1887, to the 24th of January, 1891, Minister of Mines from the 8th of October, 1887, to the 17th of October, 1889, and Minister of Agriculture from the 17th of October, 1889, to the 24th of January, 1891, in the Atkinson Government, was born in 1837 in Cheltenham, England, where he was educated. In 1851, at the early age of fourteen, he arrived in New Zealand by the “Dominion,” one of the second four ships despatched to Lyttelton, and forthwith went to Otago. He joined the Government service in Dunedin in 1860 as a cadet in the Survey Office, and speedily qualified as a surveyor. The honourable gentleman remained in the Civil Service for a quarter of a century as one of the district surveyors of Southland. Mr. Richardson took an active part in local government, first
The Hon. George Francis Richardson

Photo by Wrigglesworth and Binns.

as a member of road boards, and afterwards as a councillor and chairman of the Southland County, and retained his connection with that body till he became a Minister of the Crown. During his political career Mr. Richardson represented the constituency of Mataura, for which he was first elected member of the House of Representatives in 1884. He was re-elected in 1887 and 1890, but at the general election of 1893 he was defeated. The honourable gentleman retired from the Civil Service in 1885, and entered into private practice as a surveyor. He is now a managing director of the firm of Messrs. Richardson, Reardon and Co., Limited, of Wellington. In 1865 Mr. Richardson was married to Miss White, daughter of the late Mr. T. J. White, merchant, of Invercargill. His family numbers five—three daughters and two sons.