Arnold Edwin Victor Richardson MA, BSc., (12 September 1883 – 5 December 1949) was an Australian scientist noted for dry farming research, who became founding director of

Waite Research Institute The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public university, public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main camp ...

then director of the organisation now known as CSIRO.

History

Richardson was born in

Thebarton, South Australia Thebarton ( ), formerly Theberton, on Kaurna land, is an inner-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of West Torrens. The suburb is bounded by the River Torrens to the north, Port Road and Bonython Park to the east, Kintore ...

to George Edwin Richardson (c. 1848 – 25 July 1921) and his wife Louisa, née Mansfield (c. 1849 – 3 May 1911) of 4 George Street, Thebarton. George Edwin, who arrived in South Australia with his parents on the ''William Hyde'' in May 1849, was proprietor of Port Road Steam Works in 1881, and inventor of an improved brick-making machine. an improved direct-action

stamp battery Stamp or Stamps or Stamping may refer to: Official documents and related impressions * Postage stamp, used to indicate prepayment of fees for public mail * Ration stamp, indicating the right to rationed goods * Revenue stamp, used on documents to ...

, and an automatic railway coupling, He was proprietor, 1886–1889 with Kempster, of "Manton Ironworks" on Manton Street, Hindmarsh. He later ran a foundry in

Thebarton Thebarton ( ), formerly Theberton, on Kaurna land, is an inner-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of West Torrens. The suburb is bounded by the River Torrens to the north, Port Road and Bonython Park to the east, Kintore ...

. Arnold was educated at the

Currie Street Currie Street is a main street in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.Map
of the

Adelaide Agricultural School, where he was dux for four terms, and was awarded the School's gold medal and a scholarship to Roseworthy Agricultural School, where he earned a first-class Diploma. In 1902 he returned to the Agricultural School to assist Andrew Ferguson, BSc in what proved to be the last year agricultural subjects were offered. He joined the Education Department as a student teacher to avail himself of free tuition at the University of Adelaide, where as what the ''Public Service Review'' called "one of the most talented students which the University of Adelaide has produced" he achieved his BA in 1907, BSc (Agric) in 1908 and MA in 1909. His thesis on "''The milling qualities and chemical properties of flour from high and low grade wheats''" won praise from Sydney University assessors. He was joint winner of the John Howard Clark Scholarship for English Literature in 1907. His teaching duties took him to Moonta Mines and Port Adelaide Public Schools, after which he joined the University Training College, where he was appointed assistant lecturer.

Career

In 1908 Richardson accepted the position of Assistant Director of Agriculture, and was involved with the Director, Professor William Angus in research. In 1909 he took up residence at the Parafield Experimental Farm, where he was responsible for the breeding of several new varieties of wheat. He acted as Director of Agriculture for a few months in 1911 between the resignation of Angus and the appointment of Professor

William Lowrie William Lowrie (18 October 1857 – 20 July 1933)Alan W. Black,, ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 10, Melbourne University Press, 1986, pp 160-161. Retrieved 2009-09-16 was an Australian agricultural educationist. Lowrie was the s ...

. In June 1911 Richardson was appointed Agricultural Superintendent and Chief of the Division of Agriculture in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. He established research stations at

Werribee Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham Local government areas of Victoria, local government a ...

and

Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...

, and did much to reverse farmers' antipathy to modern farming methods. From 1917 to 1919 he lectured part-time at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

, and was appointed Director of the School of Agriculture then when the Faculty of Agriculture was created, he was appointed inaugural Dean. In 1924 the University conferred on him the honour of Doctor of Science. In 1924 he accepted the position of Waite Professor of Agriculture with the University of Adelaide and returned to South Australia to become the first Director of the

Waite Agricultural Research Institute The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

. He directed research into water and nitrogen requirements of different crops. He was Commonwealth delegate to the first Imperial Agricultural Research Conference in London in 1927, and in 1932 was one of the official advisers to the Australian delegation at the Imperial Economic Conference in Ottawa. CSIRO ScienceImage 2015 George Julius David Rivett and Arnold Richardson

CSIRO ScienceImage 2015 George Julius David Rivett and Arnold Richardson

In 1938, he was appointed Deputy chief executive officer for CSIR and in 1946 was promoted to chief executive officer, succeeding Sir

David Rivett Sir Albert Cherbury David Rivett, KCMG (4 December 1885 – 1 April 1961) was an Australian chemist and science administrator. Background and education Rivett was born at Port Esperance, Tasmania, Australia, a son of the Rev. Albert Rivett ( ...

, who had been made chairman. Responding to Federal (

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

) Opposition claims of Communist influence and leakage of secrets from the CSIR, the Chifley Labor government, through the relevant Minister

John Dedman John Johnstone Dedman (2 June 1896 – 22 November 1973) was a Minister in the Australian Labor Party governments led by John Curtin and Ben Chifley. He was responsible for organising production during World War II, establishing the Australian N ...

, placed the CSIR under the control of a five-man Executive. Rivett refused to continue under this regime and in March 1949 resigned. Richardson followed, citing health reasons, quite plausible, as he died five months later. But Rivett's son Rohan Rivett was in no doubt both resignations were protests against Government interference in the functioning of the organisation, envisaged by its founder

Stanley Bruce Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, (15 April 1883 – 25 August 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Australia from 1923 to 1929, as leader of the Nationalist Party. Born ...

as truly independent of both Government and Public Service.

Memberships

He was in 1923 President of section K (agriculture and forestry) of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science (now

ANZAAS The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) is an organisation that was founded in 1888 as the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to promote science. It was modelled on the British As ...

). He was, from 1935 to 1936, the first president of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science. (Prof. J.A. Prescott was the first president of the South Australian branch). He was from 1947 to 1949 President of ANZAAS. He was a member of the

Adelaide Club The Adelaide Club is an exclusive gentlemen's club situated on North Terrace in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. Founded in 1863, the club comprises members of the Adelaide Establishment. South Australian Club (1838–1843) An ea ...

and the Melbourne Club. He was a member, and in 1949 President, of the Melbourne chapter of Rotary International.

Family

He married Lilian Moonta Lucas (4 April 1879 – 30 June 1976) on 30 September 1909. Lilian, a noted concert singer, was also composer of a song which she presented to the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...

. They had one daughter, Yvonne Lilian Lucas Richardson (27 December 1911 – ), who married Lindsay Cust in Melbourne on 23 July 1940

Recognition

*He was in 1938 invested as CMG *The A.E.V. Richardson Laboratory of the Waite Institute was named for him. *A portrait, perhaps that by Septimus Power, hangs in the CSIRO building in East Melbourne. *Richardson Street in the Canberra suburb of Garran is named in his honour and also for

Henry Handel Richardson Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson (3 January 187020 March 1946), known by her pen name Henry Handel Richardson, was an Australian author. Life Born in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, into a prosperous family that later fell on hard ti ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Arnold Australian agronomists Australian scientists CSIRO people 1883 births 1949 deaths Adelaide Club