Richard Bowyer Smith (2 September 1837 in London, England – 4 February 1919 in

Subiaco, Western Australia Subiaco (known colloquially as Subi) is an inner-Western suburbs (Perth), western suburb of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. It is approximately west of Perth's central business district, in the City of Subiaco local government area. H ...

) was an Australian

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

Career

Smith migrated from London to South Australia with his parents Owen and Mary Ann Smith (née Lee), arriving on 15 May 1838. He is reported to have served an apprenticeship as a wheelwright with J. G. Ramsay & Co. of

Strathalbyn, South Australia Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia, in the Alexandrina Council. In 2016, the town had a population of approximately 6,500. Location Strathalbyn is 60 km southeast of Adelaide on the banks of the River Angas, at the southeastern edge o ...

. Under Smith's direction, his brother Clarence Herbert Smith created the first

stump-jump plough The stump-jump plough, also known as stump-jumping plough, is a kind of plough invented in South Australia by Richard Bowyer Smith and Clarence Herbert Smith to solve the particular problem of preparing mallee lands for cultivation. The probl ...

, entitled the ''Vixen'', in 1876. The South Australian government had offered a reward of £200 to anyone who could develop an effective mechanical stump puller, due to the difficulties farmers encountered on newly cleared land. The plough consisted of a number (originally three) of hinged

shares In financial markets, a share (sometimes referred to as stock or equity) is a unit of equity ownership in the capital stock of a corporation. It can refer to units of mutual funds, limited partnerships, and real estate investment trusts. Sha ...

: when any blade encountered an underground obstacle, it would rise out of the ground. Attached weights forced the blade back into the ground after the root was passed, allowing as much of the ground to be furrowed as possible. Although a little unorthodox, it proved remarkably effective, and was dubbed the "stump-jump" plough. Smith took out a patent in 1877 for the design, but allowed it to lapse, though one report has him selling the patent rights to

Mellor Brothers Mellor Brothers was a farm machinery manufacturer in the British colonisation of South Australia, early days of the colony of South Australia, founded by Joseph Mellor, and carried on by two of their four sons. History Joseph Mellor, his wife Mar ...

. R. B. Smith was later credited as the inventor of the design by the

Parliament of South Australia The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the 47-seat South Australian House of Assembly, House of Assembly (lower house) and the 22-seat South Australian Legislati ...

in 1882, despite controversy over the claim, and was awarded £500. He relocated to

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

in 1884, where he demonstrated and marketed the plough with little sales success and minimal profits. His brother made parts for the plough in South Australia. R. B., dubbed "Stump Jump" Smith, was manager of the Freemasons Hotel in

Beverley, Western Australia Beverley is a town in the Wheatbelt (Western Australia), Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, south-east of the state capital, Perth, between York, Western Australia, York and Brookton, Western Australia, Brookton on the Great Southern Highway ...

from 1893 to 1895, and the Railway Refreshment Rooms between 1895 and 1899. He then leased of farmland at Beverley, where he resumed his passion for creating agricultural tools. He opened a workshop in the

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

suburb of

Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...

in 1912, having relinquished his lease of the land.

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Richard Bowyer 1837 births 1919 deaths 19th-century Australian inventors 19th-century Australian engineers Burials at Karrakatta Cemetery