Richard John Smith AM (14 December 1934 – 26 July 2015) was an Australian diplomat. Smith was born in Tamworth, New South Wales and educated at Sydney High School and the University of Sydney. He worked as a teacher in London in the late 1950s, then as a solicitor in New South Wales, before joining the Australian Department of External Affairs in 1961. He had several postings in the United States, with the United Nations, and in Switzerland. In 1997, Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to international relations, particularly in the areas of commerce and trade.