English convict sentenced to seven years transportation in 1816, who arrived in New South Wales (1817) on the Lord Eldon. He worked for the newly formed Sydney Botanic Garden and was granted a pardon by Governor Macquarie in 1821. Richardson was sent back to England on the Dromedary (1821) with a shipment of plants for the Royal Gardens at Kew but was reconvicted for life and sent back to Tasmania in 1822. He was brought back to Sydney by Charles Fraser and subsequently joined a number of collecting expeditions, including those of J.J.W.M. Oxley on the Brisbane River (1823-1824), W. Baxter to King Georges Sound (1829) and T.L. Mitchell to Victoria (1836).

Material has not been unambiguously located yet at BM but may be some of the unlocalised 'Richardson' material or, as is common for specimens of this period, his collections would be identified under the name of the expedition leader. Some material at K and P attributed to Fraser, particularly that from Melville Island which Fraser did not visit and including the type of Cochlospermum fraseri Planch., was actually collected by Richardson (1826-1828). Plants named in Richardson's honour include Hibiscus richardsonii Lindl. and Alyxia richardsonii Sweet, though both names are now reduced to synonomy.