Richard Goldsbrough

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Richard Goldsbrough (17 October 1821 – 8 April 1886) was an English-born Australian business man, involved in the wool industry in the 19th century.

Goldsbrough was the son of Joshua Goldsbrough, was born at Shipley, Yorkshire. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a Bradford firm and became a wool stapler. He began working for himself in a small way in 1842, purchasing clips and sorting them for the manufacturers. His business was prospering, but feeling that Australia offered him a wider field, he sailed from Liverpool in 1847 and after a short stay at Adelaide went on to Melbourne. He began business there in 1848, and in 1853 went into partnership with E. Row and George Kirk under the name of E. Row and Company. In 1857 he took Hugh Parker into partnership and the business of R. Goldsbrough and Company was established. The building at the corner of Bourke and William Streets was begun in 1862. Other partners were admitted in later years, John Sutcliffe Horsfall, David Parker and Arthur Parker in 1876; and in 1881 the business was amalgamated with the Australasian Agency and Banking Corporation and formed into a public company, of which Goldsbrough was chairman of directors. He died at Melbourne on 8 April 1886. His wife had died some years before and there were no surviving children.

Goldsbrough took no part in public life, although he was a steward of the Victoria Racing Club from its formation in 1864 until 1886. He was essentially a business man, always abreast of the times. He had much influence in the development of the wool trade of Australia.

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