Richard Williams is Professor of Horticulture at the University of Queensland based at the Gatton Campus. He is a graduate (PhD) of the University of Adelaide. He has been involved in research into the native flora since his time as a horticultural scientist with the Queensland DPI working on macadamias.
In 1979 Richard was appointed Senior Scientist to set up and lead the native plants research program at the Black Hill Native Flora Centre in the Adelaide foothills. This research, aimed at cultivation and conservation the flora, continued during his time at the University of New England (NSW) and now at UQ, working within the Centre for Native Floriculture where the emphasis is on developing the horticultural potential of native plants.
Richard has been an active member of the Australian Flora Foundation since its inception, serving on the Board / Council for most of this time and chairing the Scientific Committee. He was President of the Foundation from 1998 to 2005.