Richard Ash Kingsford

Richard Ash Kingsford was born on 2 October 1821 in Canterbury, Kent, England, the son of John Kingsford and Mary Anne Walker.[1][2]

In 1852, after marrying Sarah Southerden, his first wife, in the fourth quarter of 1851, Kingsford and his wife emigrated to Sydney and, ultimately, relocated to Brisbane in 1854.[3]

Kingsford married Sarah Southerden in the December quarter of 1851 at Bridge, Kent, England. The Kingsfords emigrated to Sydney in 1852 and went on to Brisbane in 1854.[3] Their marriage produced four children;

• Catherine Mary (b. 1857 in Brisbane)[2][3]
• Emily Jane (b. 1859 in Brisbane)[2]
• Caroline Elizabeth (b. 1861 in Brisbane)[2]
• Richard Arthur (b. 1863 in Ashford, Kent)[9]

Kingsford was a Baptist and a lay preacher[3] and one of the founders of the Wharf Street Baptist Church, now the Baptist City Tabernacle.[4]

Following the birth of Caroline in 1861, the family returned to England, where daughter Emily Jane died in 1862, and son Richard Arthur was born in 1863 (both in Ashford, Kent). They remained in England for a period and Richard, Sarah and the 3 surviving children were recorded in the 1871 census as living at Edenbridge, Kent. Richard's occupation was given as Australian Merchant. The family returned to Brisbane in October 1871.

On 17 April 1878, while living at The Springs, Tingalpa, his eldest daughter Catherine married William Charles Smith.[5] Because of the confusions caused by having such a common name as Smith, the couple adopted the surname Kingsford-Smith (or Kingsford Smith) and were the parents of noted Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.[3]

On 8 April 1885, daughter Caroline married William Swallow, son of Thomas Swallow in Port Melbourne, Victoria.[10][11]

Headstone for Richard Ash Kingsford in McLeod Street pioneer cemetery, Cairns

Richard and Sarah moved to Cairns around 1883, where son-in-law William Smith was working as a bank manager. Some time after Kingsford's failure in the 1888 election in Cairns, the couple moved to Tasmania. Sarah died at Fairview House, Launceston, Tasmania on 13 September 1890.[12][13]

On 31 August 1892, Kingsford remarried; his second wife being Emma Jane Dexter in Launceston, Tasmania. The couple had a daughter, Dorothy (b. 20 June 1893 in Tasmania).[3][12]

Kingsford returned to Cairns in 1895 where he built a magnificent cedar and hardwood home called "Fairview" on the prominent Munros Hill in Mooroobool. It had 28 bedrooms and was completed in 1896. Kingsford spent his retirement in the home, until his death on 2 January 1902 at "Invicta", the residence of the Kingsford Smiths (his daughter and son-in-law) in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia at age 80.[1][2][14] He was buried in the Cairns Pioneer Cemetery in McLeod Street.[15]

Kingsford's widow Emma died on 8 September 1943 in Buenos Aires.[16]

Kingsford Street in Mooroobool, Cairns is named after him,[8] as is the main restaurant Kingsford's in the Cairns International Hotel.[17]

His home Fairview in Cairns became the Z Experimental Station during World War II. The building was subsequently destroyed in a fire and in 1996 a 72-apartment complex with six three-storey buildings was constructed on the site.[18][19]

• List of mayors and lord mayors of Brisbane

• Australian Dictionary of Biography Online: Kingsford, Richard Ash