John Richards was born at a seaport town in the south of England. He went to sea as a boy in a merchantman, then went into the Royal Navy. John Richards served seven years in the navy and took part in the opium wars. After leaving the navy he cruised about among the south sea islands, being in command of a schooner trading in copra and sandalwood.

John Richards went to the Australian diggings.

John moved to New Zealand and followed the Otago gold rushes, mining in the Tuapeka district.

From Tuapeka, John moved to Cromwell. He went to Potters and mined for a short time. He returned to Cromwell and took up a claim on the Kawarau River where he got good returns on a beach which now bears his name, about 3.6 km upstream from Cromwell - on the left bank opposite the old Cairnmuir Homestead. (location #268)

Late in 1862 the first Bannockburn settlement was established on the bank of the Bannockburn Creek about half a mile (800m) from the Kawarau River. At this shantytown of timber and canvas John Richards built his first hotel and general store (dwelling #309), This area is now part of the Bannockburn Inlet of Lake Dunstan. After a number of floods this settlement moved to Doctors Flat.

Early in 1867 John Richards moved his hotel and store to Doctors Flat. He purchased an acre of land and built a timber framed, corrugated iron clad hotel and store close to and behind the present Bannockburn Hotel (location #116). Mr Richards advertised as having groceries, clothing, boots and household requisites of all descriptions for sale in his general store.

in May of 1867, the Dunstan branch of the Forresters Lodge held a meeting in the hotel to form a group called the Royal Oak of Kawarau.

A ball was held to celebrate the lodge's first anniversary.

Dwelling #115 put up for sale - but it did not sell.

On 30 May John Richards applied to the Goldfields Warden to operate a punt on the Kawarau River ( see location #156). In August, the Bannockburn Minstrels gave a concert in the Bannockburn Hotel in aid of funds for the Dunstan Hospital.

In the middle of winter, Anthony Trollope, the well known author of 'Barchester Towers', visited Central Otago by public coach. He found the roads very trying, and the hotels far from comfortable, but the scenery was grand and the experience thrilling. Mr Trollope visited Bannockburn but it is not clear if he stayed in the Bannockburn Hotel. He did visit Stuarts 'Ferry Hotel' (dwelling #158) and commented on it's library. He writes : "The tedium was great, and the inns at which we stopped were not delightful. The rooms formed of corrugated iron are small. and every word uttered in the house can be heard throughout it as throughout a shed put up without divisions, and yet the owners and frequenters of these iron domiciles seem never to be aware of the fact. As I lay in bed in one of these metal inns on the road, I was constrained to hear the private conversation of my host and hostess who had retired for the night. 'So this is Mr Anthony Trollope' said the host. The hostess assented, but I could gather clearly from her voice that she was thinking much more of her back hair than of her visitor. 'Well' said the host 'he must be a ..... fool to come travelling in this country in such weather as this' Perhaps after all the host was aware of the peculiarity of the house and thought it well that I should know his opinion. He could not have spoken any words with which at the moment I should have been more prone to agree" This event may not have taken place in the Bannockburn Hotel, but it could have, for it too was built of timber and corrugated iron - a real tin inn.

John planted an apple orchard opposite his hotel (see location #390).

The Vincent County rateable value for the Bannockburn Hotel was £70 (seventy pound)

The Royal Oak of Kawarau Lodge meetings at the Bannockburn Hotel were an important part of the Bannockburn social life and were well supported for a number of years. Prominent members were William Parsons and William Burrows.

On 3 Aug 1880 the Bannockburn Co-Op store Company was formed. John Richards was a director. (see dwelling #87)

In May the hotel may have been on the market (see next resident - Arthur Smith)

In July, the Post Office was moved from dwelling #55 to the Bannockburn Hotel. Mr Richards took over the job of Postmaster. The Post Office consisted of a small timber framed corrugated iron clad building attached to the south end of the hotel, which had it's own separate entrance. The Post Office is location #342. The Post Office building was 6ft (1.8m) wide and 9ft (2.7m) long.

On 1 Nov 1885, Mr Richards sold his premises to Mr J W Robertson and retired. He moved to Cromwell and took up residence with his wife in Inniscourt Street. Mr Richards remained active in local affairs. To Improve communications between Cromwell and Bannockburn he formed a syndicate with Mr John Grant called the Kawarau Bridge Company which was responsible for building a toll bridge between the two ferry sites. (see location #153).

On Monday, 3 Aug, Mary Annie Richards, first wife of John Richards died at he age of 52 years, She is buried in the Cromwell cemetery.

On 7 Dec 1886, John Richards married Mary Ann Tippett. The minister was Rev Drake.

In May 1899, John Richards and his wife were on holiday in Dunedin, staying at the City Hotel. Mr Richards became unwell and was attended by a doctor. On Sunday morning, 8 May, John Richards died suddenly of heart failure after eating his breakfast. he was 78 years old. He was buried on 10 May in the Cromwell cemetery.