P001481 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy and Helen Cohn updated 2026-05-19 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001481b.htm person Richards Richard Walter AACR2 14 November 1893 8 May 1985 Place of Birth Bendigo, Victoria, Australia Place of Death Point Lonsdale, Victoria, Australia Antarctic explorer Physicist Science educator Richard Walter Richards was a physicist on Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 - 1917. He was just 20 years old, and had only recenlty completed his studies at the University of Melbourne, when he joined SY Aurora. Richards was a member of the Ross Sea party, which established a base at McMurdo Sound and crossed the Ross Ice Shelf towards the Beardmore Glacier, laying depots of stores for Shackleton's return. The party's return journey was harrowing, Richards playing a significant role in the survival of the men. On returning from the Expedition, he resumed his teaching career at the Ballarat School of Mines. Between 1946 and 1958 he was Principal of the School. He was joint Secretary and Treasurer of the Ballarat Science and Field Naturalists Club for two years until the Club folded. Richardson Inlet, near the Beardmore Glacier, Antarctica, was named in his honour. 1914 1914 Career position - Lecturer in mathematics, Ballarat School of Mines 1914 1914 Education - BSc (physics), University of Melbourne 1914 1916 Award - Polar Medal (silver) with clasps 1914 1917 Career position - Physicist, Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1917 1918 Career position - Secretary and treasurer (jointly with W. H. Collyer), Ballarat Science and Field Naturalists Club 1918 1946 Career position - Lecturer in mathematics and physics, Ballarat School of Mines 1923 1923 Award - Albert Medal 1946 1958 Career position - Principal, Ballarat School of Mines Ballarat School of Mines (1871 - c. 1976)

Principal 1946 - 1958

 Ballarat Field Club and Science Society (1882 - 1918)

Secretary and Treasurer (joint), Ballarat Science and Field Naturalists Club 1917 - 1918

 Aurora (1876 - 1917)

On board 1914 - 1917

 Richards, R.W.

Trove

 'Richards, Richard Walter', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Richards, Richard Walter Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book: The Ross Sea shore party 1914-17 Richards, R. W. The Ross Sea shore party 1914-17 Cambridge Scott Polar Research Institute 1962 Book: The lost men: the harrowing saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea party Tyler-Lewis, Kelly The lost men: the harrowing saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea party New York Viking 2006 Book: The boy from Long Gully: Australia's unsung hero from the early 1900s heroic age of Antarctic exploration McOrist, Wilson The boy from Long Gully: Australia's unsung hero from the early 1900s heroic age of Antarctic exploration Newport, N.S.W. Big Sky Publishing 2021 Book: Shackleton's forgotten men: the untold tragedy of the endurance epic Bickel, Lennard Shackleton's forgotten men: the untold tragedy of the endurance epic New York Thunder’s Mouth Press: Balliett & Fitzgerald 2000 Thesis: A voice for nature: a history of the Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat Kruss, Susan A voice for nature: a history of the Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat Federation University Australia 2024 Richard Walter Richards - Records National Library of Australia Oral History Collection Richard Walter Richards - Records TRC 495 1914 - 1960 Oral history interview c1914-60 [TRC 495]. Richards talks about the 1914-1917 British Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, in particular, the difficulties faced by him and his companions such as reliance on seal meat for food and fuel, symptoms of scurvy, blizzard conditions and the death of some of the members of the expedition. He also talks about the dogs used to pull their sleds and life generally during this time as well as his opinion of Shackelton as a leader. 1 reel Audio