Richard Driver

Background

Driver was born in Cabramatta, New South Wales, son of Richard Driver, hotel-keeper, and his wife Elizabeth, née Powell.

Career

In 1859, he became a solicitor for the Sydney City Council and also carried out a practice in the Sydney police court. He was the member for Carcoar from 1869 to 1872 and Windsor from 1872 to his death in 1880. He generally supported Henry Parkes, but turned down an offer of to be made minister of mines in 1872.

He became minister for lands in Parkes" 1877 government and as a cricket lover he provided £700 for improvements to the Sydney Cricket Ground and vested the ground in trustees in 1879, including himself as the representative of the New South Wales Cricket Association.

From 1860 to 1880 Driver was an important organizer of visits by English cricket teams and intercolonial matches. He died in the Sydney suburb of Randwick and is buried at Waverley Cemetery.

A road built in the 1890s outside the Sydney Cricket Ground called Driver Avenue is named in his honour.

Achievements

• Driver unsuccessfully contested three seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1858 and was defeated again for East Sydney in 1859, but won West Macquarie in 1860 and held it to 1869.