Arthur Dudley Dobson
| Arthur Dudley Dobson | |
|---|---|
Arthur Dudley Dobson in 1932
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| Born | 9 September 1841 Islington, England |
| Died | 5 March 1934 (aged 92) Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Education | Christ's College |
| Spouse(s) | Eleanor, née Lewis |
| Parent(s) | Edward Dobson |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Railway, civil, surveying |
| Projects | Lyttelton Rail Tunnel |
| Significant design | Midland Line |
| Significant advance | First European to cross Arthur's Pass |
Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson (9 September 1841 – 5 March 1934) was a pioneer surveyor, engineer and explorer. Born in London, he came to Lyttelton, New Zealand in 1850 on one of the First Four Ships. He is best known for taking the first party of Europeans over Arthur's Pass.
Arthur Dudley Dobson was born in Islington, London, in 1841. He was the son of Edward Dobson (1816–1908) and Mary Ann, née Lough. His father was a surveyor and railway engineer, which had a major influence on his life. He received his early education in Nottingham.
When the railway boom ended in England, his father decided to emigrate to New Zealand. He purchased land from the Canterbury Association and sailed to the colony on the Cressy, one of the First Four Ships. The Cressy arrived in Lyttelton on 27 December 1850. He took his two oldest boys with him, George (1840–1866) and Arthur.
His father found that life in the new colony with two young sons was challenging, and they were sent to their uncle, Reverend Charles Dobson, the vicar of Buckland in Tasmania, where they stayed for three years. On their return journey, they landed in Nelson, where they stayed with another uncle, Alfred Dobson. He was surveying the Nelson region and soon after became the Nelson provincial surveyor.
Meanwhile, his mother had arrived on the Fatima, which had landed in Lyttelton exactly one year after them, on 27 December 1851. She had the other children with her: Mary Ann (1844–1913), Caroline (1845–1932), Edward Henry (1847–1934) and Maria Eliza (b. 1848). His remaining siblings were born in New Zealand: Robert (1852–1893), Emily Frances (1857–1943), Herbert Alex (1860–1948) and Collet Barker (1861–1926).
As his father had been appointed Canterbury provincial engineer in 1854, the financial situation improved, and the boys were sent to Christ's College, then the best school in Christchurch. Prior to this, Arthur was taught by the Reverend G. Cotterill in Lyttelton.
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