Arthur Charles Jeston Richardson
Encyclopedia
Arthur Charles Jeston Richardson (23 February 1872 – 3 April 1939), an Australian cyclist and mining engineer, became the first person to circumnavigate the continent of Australia
on a bicycle
.
, while Arthur was very young. He attended Whinham College and Adelaide Collegiate School. After becoming a mining engineer, Richardson traveled the Australian gold fields looking for new strikes.
Richardson decided to become the first cyclist to cross the stiflingly hot Nullabor Plain. On 24 November 1896, Richardson left Coolgardie
for Adelaide by bicycle. Carrying only a small kit and a water-bag, he followed the telegraph line, as he crossed the Nullabor. He later described the heat as "1,000 degrees in the shade". He successfully completed the journey, arriving in Adelaide thirty-one days later. As the first man to pedal the Nullabor, Richardson's ride was widely reported in Australian newspapers and periodicals of the day.
on 5 June 1899, heading north, carrying 25 pounds of gear and a pistol. Heavy rain slowed his progress in Western Australia, and later in the north, where the black-soil plains were unrideable for several days. He had to push and carry his bicycle through sand and silt, encountering hostile native inhabitants
along the way. He arrived back in Perth on 4 February 1900 after travelling 11,500 miles (18,507 km). Richardson's ride was something of a race, as he beat out three other competing Australians - Alex and Frank White, and Donald Mackay
, who were simultaneously attempting to circumnavigate the continent in a counter-clockwise direction from Brisbane.
. He left Fremantle, Western Australia
on 13 March 1900 with a bicycle donated by a local agent for use as a dispatch rider. The contingent disembarked at Beira, Mozambique
on 18 April. In June 1900 Richardson was discharged from military service at Marandellas, near Salisbury, Rhodesia
, after breaking his arm.
Richardson worked briefly in West Africa. He married Gwendolyn Bedwell, and moved to Chile
where he worked as a mining engineer. The couple had one son while living in Chile, James Herbert. Richardson was badly wounded in World War I
and spent two years in hospital at Rouen, France. He later divorced, and moved to England to work as an engineer. On 26 July 1934 he married an English widow, Rita Betsy Elliott-Druiff. The couple settled in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. During this time he began showing symptoms of severe mental illness, which may have been caused by his war injuries.
Richardson died on 3 April 1939 at his home in Scarborough, North Yorkshire of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after first shooting his wife. He was survived by James, his son from his first marriage who had remained in Chile.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
.
Early life and career
Richardson was born on 23 February 1872 at Pernambuco (Recife), Brazil, one of ten children. The family moved to Port Augusta, South AustraliaPort Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
, while Arthur was very young. He attended Whinham College and Adelaide Collegiate School. After becoming a mining engineer, Richardson traveled the Australian gold fields looking for new strikes.
Richardson decided to become the first cyclist to cross the stiflingly hot Nullabor Plain. On 24 November 1896, Richardson left Coolgardie
Coolgardie, Western Australia
Coolgardie is a small town in the Australian state of Western Australia, east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 800 people....
for Adelaide by bicycle. Carrying only a small kit and a water-bag, he followed the telegraph line, as he crossed the Nullabor. He later described the heat as "1,000 degrees in the shade". He successfully completed the journey, arriving in Adelaide thirty-one days later. As the first man to pedal the Nullabor, Richardson's ride was widely reported in Australian newspapers and periodicals of the day.
Circumnavigating Australia
In 1899 Richardson set out to be the first to ride round the Australian continent. He left PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
on 5 June 1899, heading north, carrying 25 pounds of gear and a pistol. Heavy rain slowed his progress in Western Australia, and later in the north, where the black-soil plains were unrideable for several days. He had to push and carry his bicycle through sand and silt, encountering hostile native inhabitants
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
along the way. He arrived back in Perth on 4 February 1900 after travelling 11,500 miles (18,507 km). Richardson's ride was something of a race, as he beat out three other competing Australians - Alex and Frank White, and Donald Mackay
Donald George Mackay
Donald George Mackay was an Australian outdoorsman, long-distance cyclist, and explorer who conducted several expeditions to the remotest areas of the Australian continent.-Early life:...
, who were simultaneously attempting to circumnavigate the continent in a counter-clockwise direction from Brisbane.
Later life
Richardson later moved to South Africa, where he served three years with the South Australian militia before joining the 3rd (Bushmen's) Contingent, Victorian Mounted Rifle Regiment of Western Australia, destined for the Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. He left Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
on 13 March 1900 with a bicycle donated by a local agent for use as a dispatch rider. The contingent disembarked at Beira, Mozambique
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
on 18 April. In June 1900 Richardson was discharged from military service at Marandellas, near Salisbury, Rhodesia
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
, after breaking his arm.
Richardson worked briefly in West Africa. He married Gwendolyn Bedwell, and moved to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
where he worked as a mining engineer. The couple had one son while living in Chile, James Herbert. Richardson was badly wounded in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and spent two years in hospital at Rouen, France. He later divorced, and moved to England to work as an engineer. On 26 July 1934 he married an English widow, Rita Betsy Elliott-Druiff. The couple settled in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. During this time he began showing symptoms of severe mental illness, which may have been caused by his war injuries.
Richardson died on 3 April 1939 at his home in Scarborough, North Yorkshire of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after first shooting his wife. He was survived by James, his son from his first marriage who had remained in Chile.