Rhys Richards
Rhys Richards is a New Zealand historian and ethnographer. He has written extensively on maritime history and Pacific artifacts and art. He has also spoken on these subjects on New Zealand radio and at many conferences and seminars around the world.
He attended the University of Canterbury in Christchurch where he completed a Master of Arts degree. The title of his MA thesis is, An historical geography of Chatham Island. After graduating from university he worked as a career diplomat in the New Zealand Foreign Service. His diplomatic work included postings in New York, Hong Kong, Manila, Geneva, Apia, and Honiara. In retirement he and his wife Margaret live in Wellington, New Zealand. They have three children.
He has written many books, journal articles, chapters in books, book reviews and articles in newspapers. He has also contributed content to online resources, such as and the British Southern Whale Fishery website.
In the year 2000, he was presented with the 16th annual L. Byrne Waterman Award for his "outstanding contribution to maritime history," in a ceremony at The Kendall Whaling Museum, Massachusetts.
