Henry Dowling (1810 – 17 September 1885) was a newspaper editor and politician in colonial

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. He was the older brother of artist Robert Hawker Dowling. Dowling was born in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, Gloucestershire, England, son of Rev. Henry Dowling Snr (1780–1869), a Baptist minister and Elizabeth Darke (1782–1853). Dowling junior was educated at the Free Grammar School,

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

, and was afterwards apprenticed to the printing business. In 1830 he emigrated to

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania during the European exploration of Australia, European exploration and colonisation of Australia in the 19th century. The Aboriginal Tasmanians, Aboriginal-inhabited island wa ...

(later renamed to

), and was for some time on the staff of the ''Hobart Town Courier'', but in the following year he purchased from

John Pascoe Fawkner John Pascoe Fawkner (20 October 1792 – 4 September 1869) was an early Australian pioneer, businessman and politician of Melbourne, Australia. In 1835 he financed a party of free settlers from Van Diemen's Land (now called Tasmania), to sail ...

the ''Launceston Independent'', and changing its name to the ''Launceston Advertiser'', conducted it for some years with much success. In 1839 Dowling proceeded to England, having received the appointment of Immigration Agent for Tasmania, in which capacity he was the means of introducing into the colony many settlers whose names were well known in Northern Tasmania. In 1842 he returned to

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk River, North Esk and South Esk River, South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River, Tasmania, Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launc ...

, and was for some years engaged in the printing and drapery business. He was one of the founders of the Launceston Savings Bank, and in 1844 was appointed manager of that institution. Dowling was always active in public affairs, and was specially prominent in the anti-transportation movement, and in the agitation for railways. Dowling was Mayor of Launceston from 1857 to 1861, and in the latter year was elected to the

Tasmanian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Legislative Council or Upper House. It sits in Parliament House, Hobart, Parliament Hou ...

as member for Launceston, but only held the seat for two years. In 1868 he accepted the secretaryship of the Launceston and Western Railway Company, and held that position until the year 1872, when this, the first of Tasmanian railways, was taken over by the Government. Amongst the works issued from Dowling's press may be mentioned an illustrated edition of the ''Pickwick Papers'' and West's ''History of Tasmania''. Dowling died from heart failure on 17 September 1885 in Launceston, Tasmania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowling, Henry 1810 births 1885 deaths Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly Mayors of Launceston, Tasmania Politicians from Gloucester English emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian politicians