Henry Caselli Richards was the University of Queensland's first lecturer responsible for geology and mineralogy, who later became the inaugural Professor of Geology in 1919. He represented UQ on the Queensland Committee for the Advisory Council of Science and Industry (1916-1918) and had a lifelong association with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIRO) as a council member and Chairman of its Queensland committee. When Commonwealth funding was provided for university research in 1937, Richard chaired the committee tasked with disbursing these funds on behalf of the University. In 1922, he helped found the Great Barrier Reef Committee. This Committee would go on to establish the Heron Island Marine Biological Research Station in 1951. Richards also sat on the UQ Senate (1926-1932 and 1943-1947), served as Deputy Chancellor (1944-1946), and was the Dean of the Faculty of Science, President of the Board of Faculties, President of the Staff Association and Chairman of Public Exams Committee.