[1][2] His father, George Rickwood, was an English immigrant to Australian who worked as the editor of the Cessnock Eagle and correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.

[1] As the President of BP Alaska from 1969 to 1980, he oversaw the expansion of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.

[1] Rickwood served on the Boards of Directors of Ampol, Pioneer International and Peko Oil.

[1] Rickwood was the 1993 recipient of the Haddon Forrester King Medal from the Australian Academy of Science.

[1] Additionally, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II herself aboard the Britannia.

[3] Rickwood resided at Minimbah House, a historic mansion near Singleton, New South Wales.