Stuart Richardson

Stuart Richardson was born in Swansea, England, and as a young man spent some years in Australia. On returning to England he entered the Brush Electrical Engineering Company's works at Loughborough, where he was trained as an Electrical Engineer. Following this he worked for the Corporation of Leicester as Chief Electrical Engineer.

In 1899 he emigrated to New Zealand where he held the role of Engineer and Manager for the New Zealand Electrical Syndicate, which at that time controlled the electric lighting of Wellington's streets. At the end of his contract in 1902 he applied and was appointed Assistant Electrical Engineer at the Wellington City Council, working under William Ryle Wright, the Engineer appointed to construct the electric tramway system. Following the completion of the electric tramway system, Richardson was promoted to Electrical Tramways Engineer. In this role he was responsible for managing the 26 miles of tramways, along with the power station, various car sheds, and all other aspects of the system.

He remained in this role until his unexpected death from heart failure in 1914. He was highly esteemed by members of the electrical profession not only in Wellington but throughout New Zealand, and was remembered for his kindly and endearing manner. Mayor Hislop referred to Richardson's death as a 'calamity, both to the Council and to the Dominion', and referred to the privilege his friendship had been. 

Stuart was a Member of the British Institute of Electrical Engineers, and in 1906 became Associate of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.