DOBSON, SIR ARTHUR DUDLEY (1841-1934). The son of Edward Dobson (q.v.), Arthur was born in London. His education, commenced in Nottingham and London, was interrupted when the family migrated to New Zealand in the Cressy (1850). In 1851 Arthur and his brother were sent to Tasmania in the brig Gazelle to the care of an uncle, the Rev C. Dobson, vicar of Buckland. Two years later, their mother having arrived in New Zealand, the boys returned and continued their education as boarders under the Rev G. Cotterill at Lyttelton and Christ's College.

As a youth Arthur commenced surveying and engineering under his father. In 1860 they surveyed Lyttelton harbour and measured the depth of the mud. The laying out of roads to Kaiapoi and Rangiora, draining the Rangiora swamp, surveying the upper Hurunui and Lake Sumner and marking out the road from Riccarton to the Rangitata kept him employed for a few years. Under the provincial government from 1861 he prospected for coal at Kowai and Mt Torlesse and explored the range as far as the Rakaia; carried out topographical surveys (under von Haast) in the Port Hills and the Mackenzie country (1862) and worked quarries to supply stone for provincial buildings. In 1863 Dobson accepted a contract for the survey of a block of land in west Canterbury from the Grey river to Abut head (including Lake Brunner and the Teremakau to the main ridge). Chartering the schooner Gipsy in Nelson, he took his party south and penetrated as far overland as the Hokitika river, which he crossed on 1 Jan 1864. The white surveyors being discouraged by frequent fatal accidents in the rivers, Dobson relied upon Maori help and used native huts for shelters.

Returning to Christchurch overland he started for the coast again, hoping to bring horses across the Alps. In Mar he discovered Arthur's Pass (named after him some months later) but had to use the Hurunui saddle to get his animals across. Owing to the advent of the diggers, the tracks had to be widened into roads and Arthur's Pass became the main route from Christchurch to the west. His work in Westland being completed (1864), Dobson was associated with Travers (q.v.) in opening up a goldfield in the Appo gully, Collingwood, but after some months it was found to have been worked over previously. He then undertook survey work for Nelson province, trying to find routes over the ranges to the goldfields. While he was thus engaged his brother George was murdered (24 May 1866). Arthur was appointed in 1869 district engineer for the Nelson West Coast goldfields, with headquarters at Westport, and later also chief surveyor. He resigned from the provincial service to become district engineer under the General Government, in charge of railway construction, where he remained until 1878, when he rejoined his father in Christchurch. In 1880 they took the contract for the Timaru harbour works, which they completed in two years.

Dobson made surveys of various railway routes over the Alps, mainly Arthur's Pass and Hurunui. In 1884 the former was decided upon, a preliminary company was formed to obtain capital, and Dobson as engineer went to London (with Alan Scott and Charles Fell). As a result the Midland Railway Co. was formed. During his visit to England Dobson made many interesting contacts with botanists, geologists and other scientists, attended meetings of learned societies and heard much music, in which he was greatly interested. He took flute lessons from a prominent master. On his return to New Zealand (Sep 1885) he found conditions so depressed that he went to Melbourne in search of employment. In partnership with John Bowen Mackenzie and Robert Reed he tendered for the Warrnambool harbour works (£150,000), which they carried out successfully. He then undertook alone the building of a suspension bridge (span 500 feet) over the Merri river and other engineering works which he serviced from his workshops in Warrnambool. Suffering severe losses in the financial crisis in Victoria, Dobson returned to New Zealand (Apr 1898) and took over the business from which his father was about to retire. He carried out important irrigation works in the Rakaia district and reported on the Waimakariri power scheme. As city engineer in Christchurch (1901-21) he carried out the Sydenham waterworks, the city waterworks with reservoir in Cashmere hills and many important street works.

Dobson was knighted in 1931 and died on 5 Mar 1934. He married (1866) Eleanor (d. 1933), daughter of Henry Lewis, Nelson.

Cycl. N.Z., iii; A. D. Dobson, Reminiscences, 1930 (p); The Press, 13 Jul 1909.

Reference: Volume 1, page 123

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