Have just revisited the lovely old inn Riversdale at Goulburn, (National Trust of Australia (NSW), that was built by the ex-convict John Richards (1816 Mariner) after he bought land there in 1837 from Matthew Healy. Richards was James Gough's partner in the 1834 contract to build the Berrima Gaol that failed in 1836, and was an ambitious entrepreneur who was involved in several inns and a number of coaching businesses. When he died in 1838, his capable wife Ann, continued to run his several enterprises, including Riversdale, the brewery at the inn, and the coaching business.
As Ann Hollis, she was no stranger to being a publican, and in 1828 had taken over the management of The White Hart inn on Windsor Road, (owned by William Cox) that had been built by James Gough about 1826 and managed by him until the end of 1827. Widowed, with three small sons, her partner was John Richards, who was still bonded and assigned to Cox. By 1833, Richards was offering a full coach service from Sydney to Windsor in his new coach, The Currency Lad, that ran three days a week.
 | |||||||
| Sydney Gazette 15 December 1838 |
John Richards full biography is included in the James Gough book
