Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Percy Ralph Ricardo was born on 28 August 1855 in Weston, England. He served in the Royal Canadian Artillery before migrating to New South Wales about 1874. He moved to Queensland in 1875, leased Waterview station on the Herbert River, and from 1879 managed and partly owned Franklyn Vale, near Laidley.

Ricardo was secretary of the Queensland Turf Club, secretary of the Queensland Ice & Freezing Co. and managing director of the Brisbane Ice Co.
Ricardo joined the Queensland Volunteer Force as acting captain in 1884. He transferred to the Queensland Defence Force in February 1885 where he became captain in 1888 and major in 1889.

From July 1897 he was lieutenant-colonel of the Queensland Mounted Infantry. In the South African War Ricardo commanded the 1st Queensland Contingent. Ricardo died in Melbourne on 4 June 1907. (Information taken from: Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1988, retrieved 2 July 2012, from http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ricardo-percy-ralph-8190) from State Library Queensland.

The newly appointed Commandant in Western Australia, Lieut-Colonel Percy R. Ricardo, was educated at Rugby. The greater portion of his life has been  spent in Queensland, where he has for many years taken an active part in military organisation, particularly with regard the the development of  the  mounted infantry branch of the service. He was finally Acting-Commandant in Queensland. Prior to that he raised and commanded the regiment  of  mounted infantry in that State, a regiment 950 strong, who claim the proud distinction of being the first regiment who volunteered for service in South  Africa. Colonel Ricardo commanded the Queensland Mounted Infantry in South Africa, and whilst there saw plenty of active service, as he was second in  command at the relief of Douglas, for which he was mentioned in despatches. He was with General French at the relief of Kimberley, and at the  action of Driefoniein and the occupation of Bloemfontein. He was also present at the disaster at Sanna's Pust when the Queenslanders suffered  severely. He subsequently joined General Hutton's Brigade, and was with him till the occupation of Pretoria and Diamond Hill. The Queenslanders then  being employed on police duty in Pretoria. Colonel Ricardo was selected bv Lord Roberts to perform the duties of Commissioner in Pretoria, duties which were so ably performed that he was specially mentioned by the Governor in despatches. Colonel Ricardo is an enthusiastic mounted ¡nfantryman and  was the first man in Australia to introduce that arm of tho service. For his services in South Africa Colonel Ricardo was among the first to receive the  Companionship of the Bath.