He is best known for roles including in Matlock Police as Steve York from 1973 and 1976 and in the 1980s soap opera Sons and Daughters as David Palmer from 1982 until 1987, opposite co-star Leila Hayes. He is an Australian former television actor best known for his roles in iconic Australian soap operas and dramas.[2]
Throughout four decades as a performer Richards continued to become recognized through his portrayals of roles in police dramas, medical series and family soap operas. He started by making brief appearances in the Crawford TV Productions series Homicide and Division 4 and Ryan.
Early life and education
Tom Richards was born on 22 March 1948,[1] in Australia. His interest in performing arts emerged early but little information exists about his childhood which directed him toward a future in acting. Progress in Australian television during the time inspired Richards toward performing arts hence he decided to pursue acting professionally.
The Twelfth Night Theatre of Brisbane became his first dramatic education center following his highly regarded position as a venue for developing Australian actors (Twelfth Night Theatre, 2025). Under the guidance of the Twelfth Night theatre Richards learned basic acting skills through both observing staged plays and completing a classical theatre curriculum in 1971. He made his first performance a stage adaptation of The Rose and the Ring (1971) which proved instrumental in his skill development before his television debut (The Rose and the Ring, 2025).
His theater background during the early stage of his career developed fundamental artistic skills which enabled him to overcome television industry competition successfully. The well-regarded Twelfth Night Theatre became famous for developing performers and offered him essential training in developing stage presence, voice modulation skills and character development methods. The theatrical training he received at Twelfth Night Theatre enabled him to move smoothly from stage appearances toward meeting television requirements that needed precise performance with multiple takes and various roles.[3]
The television industry in Melbourne flourished in the 1970s so Richards relocated there seeking career advancement.[4] During the early years of his television career Richards appeared in crime series including Homicide, Division 4 and Ryan where he demonstrated his strength in powerful character portrayal. The theatrical experience from his past proved essential for Richards to get major television parts in police shows and soap operas.[5] His strong acting foundation during the first half of his career created the basis for which he became renowned in Australian entertainment over more than four decades.
Career
The Twelfth Night Theatre in Brisbane was Richards' initial training ground. He subsequently moved to Melbourne in the early 1970s, to further his career, securing supporting roles parts in three police procedural series across the 1970s, including Homicide, Division 4 and Ryan.
Recognition came in 1972 when he won the role of young, stubborn, slightly unorthodox Senior Detective Steve York in Australian police drama Matlock Police,[6] The character was first introduced in episode 100, and he played him for four years. The role earned him further television roles in Cop Shop and The Box.
The television program Sons and Daughters granted Richards further success, in the main role of David Palmer in 1982. The career-defining role lasted for six seasons, through to 1987.[7] The series became successful in Britain, expanding Richards' fame internationally.[6]
After the series concluded, Richards appeared as regular character Lawrie Benson in short-lived soap opera Richmond Hill in 1988. The same year, he had a recurring role in long-running soap opera Home and Away, returning again in 1995, to portray a different character. He continued his television career with roles in The Young Doctors, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, Water Rats and All Saints.
Richards appeared in several features including American films Rapid Fire (1992) and Future War (1997).
↑Homan, S., Tebbutt, J., Strong, C., & O’Hanlon, S. (2021). Music City Melbourne. NewSouth Publishing, p. 45.
↑Homan, S., Tebbutt, J., Strong, C., & O’Hanlon, S. (2021). Music City Melbourne. NewSouth Publishing, p. 49.
12Bollen, J. (2013). Here from there – travel, television and touring revues: internationalism as entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s. Popular Entertainment Studies, 4(1), 64–81, p. 70.
↑Cunningham, S., & Turner, G. (2006). Policy, regulation and ownership. In S. Cunningham & G. Turner (Eds.), The Media and Communications in Australia (2nd ed., p. 178). Routledge.
↑Dwyer, T. (2020). Prisons and picnics: Tough talk and accent in Australian TV drama. Media International Australia, 174(1), 59–71, p. 70.
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