John Richards (c. 1842 – 24 January 1913) was a politician in the colony of South Australia.
He was born in Helston, Cornwall and emigrated to South Australia, arriving on the Duke of Bedford in December 1848. [1] [2]
He acquired a considerably knowledge of mining, particularly copper mining, and wrote on the subject for The Register, the London Mining Journal and other publications, and ran a successful business in the mining districts of Yorke's Peninsula. [1] He also wrote eloquently and forcefully in defence of Graham Berry. [3]
He represented Wallaroo in the South Australian House of Assembly from February 1875 to April 1878. [4]
He took to drink, and was reported to be homeless in December 1881 when he was convicted cheque fraud and sentenced to imprisonment for one month. [5] He was charged a second time in 1882, [6] however he was acquitted as the bank books were not produced at his trial. [7] He was convicted a second time in June 1882 and sentenced to imprisonment for 3 months. [8] [9]
He died at the Destitute Asylum, where he had been incarcerated since 1909. [1]
He married the eldest daughter of George Thomas Crutchett (c. 1825–1893), Moonta's first Town Clerk, and Susan Nichols Crutchett, née Withall (1820–1927). Their children included: