Richard W. Richards

For the former Lord Mayor of Sydney, see Richard Watkins Richards.

Richard Walter Richards, GC often referred to as Dick Richards, born at Bendigo, Victoria in 1893, was an Australian science teacher who joined Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in December 1914 as a physicist with the Ross Sea Party under Captain Aeneas Mackintosh. Richards was barely 21 years old, and had just completed his studies at Melbourne University, when SY Aurora sailed. He was to outlive all other members of the expedition, and became the last survivor of the so-called "Heroic Age" of Antarctic exploration, dying at the age of 91 in 1985.

With the Ross Sea Party

On the ill-starred Ross Sea Party, Richards learned sledging and polar travel techniques from Ernest Joyce whom Richards admired.[1] It was Richards who first noticed the disappearance of the Aurora during a gale on 6 May 1915, and coincidentally he was the first to sight her on her return, 20 months later. During the intervening period while the shore party was stranded, Richards participated in the harrowing march to the Beardmore Glacier, laying depots for Shackleton's expected transcontinental party, which of course never came. He observed the deaths of Arnold Spencer-Smith, Victor Hayward and Mackintosh during the journey back from the Beardmore, and was thereafter confined to his bunk for several weeks, suffering from exhaustion and depression.[2]

Post-expedition career

After rescue in January 1917, and his return to Australia, Richards taught at the School of Mines and Industry at Ballarat. After acting as a government adviser on optical apparatus during World War II he returned to Ballarat in 1948, as Principal of the College, retiring in 1958.[3] During his later years he was frequently consulted by historians and chroniclers of polar exploration, often expressing his views in trenchant terms.[4] He maintained the view that, though the depot-laying journey was ultimately unnecessary, it was not futile, but was a demonstration of what the human spirit could accomplish in adversity.[5]

Honours and memorials

Richard Richards was awarded the Albert Medal in 1923 for his efforts on the ice to save the lives of Spencer-Smith and Mackintosh, this award being converted in 1971 to the George Cross, an exchange offered to all Albert Medal holders then living.[6] He is further commemorated by the Richards Inlet at 83°20′S 168°30′E / 83.333°S 168.500°E / -83.333; 168.500,[3] and also by the Richard W Richards Medal[3] at the Ballarat College of Advanced Education.

It is reported that Richards signed up for the Trans-Antarctic Expedition without any discussion of payment, and that on his return he received the sum of £70.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Huntford, Shackleton biog. p450
  2. ↑ Bickel, Shackleton's Lost Men pp228-29
  3. 1 2 3 RWR biog. in http://www.heritage.antarctica.org/AHT/CrewRossSeaParty
  4. ↑ Transcript of archival recording of RWR in http://www.abc.net.au/tv/rewind/txt/s1214093.htm
  5. ↑ RWR quoted in http://www.abc.net.au/tv/rewind/txt/s1214093.htm
  6. ↑ George Cross Database - Summary index table of all individual GC awards
  7. ↑ Shackleton, South (Century Ltd edition) ed. note p169

Sources

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