Sir Henry Nicholas Ridley C.M.G. (1911), M.A. (Oxon), F.R.S., F.L.S., F.R.H.S. (b. 10 December 1855, West Harling Hall, Norfolk, England - d. 24 October 1956, Kew, Surrey, England). A botanist, geologist and the first Scientific Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens from 1888 to 1911, and the one who spent many years promoting rubber as a commercial product. His research led to his important discovery in 1895, a means of tapping which did not seriously damage the rubber trees. With this advanced method, plantations thrived, and rubber became the most important enterprise in the Straits Settlements. His advocacy for the crop, plus a sharp increase in demand as the auto industry developed, rubber was the key to the twentieth century prosperity of Malaya and Singapore. Malaya was the world's number one rubber producer for many years. In the world encyclopedias, Ridley, Henry Nicholas is known as 'the English botanist who was largely responsible for establishing the rubber industry in the Malay Peninsula'. Ridley is also known as the father of the rubber industry, and his invented 'tapping technique' is still being used all around the region where rubber plantations exist. Ridley retired from Singapore in 1911 and spent the rest of his life back in England. He died on 24 October, 1956, just a few months before his 101st birthday. Ridley Park is named after him.

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