Robert Dawson (1782–1866) was a company agent and pastoralist in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
in the early part of the nineteenth century. He was born in
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, England and was the youngest son of Joseph Dawson.
[
] Dawson was working in England as the estate manager for Viscount Barrington's estate, Becket, when he was approached by John Macarthur junior, and old school friend, to apply for the post of chief agent in New South Wales for the newly formed
Australian Agricultural Co. (AA Co.) in which he was to establish and administer a pastoral grant of subject to a committee resident there.
[
The AA co. appointed Robert Dawson as their chief agent and appointed a Colonial Committee to assist him. This committee was entrusted by the directors in England with 'extensive discretionary powers'. Dawson was advised to accept their advice at all times. However the committee effectively included just three people, all members of the same family - ]James Macarthur
James Gordon MacArthur (December 8, 1937 – October 28, 2010) was an American actor with a long career in both movies and television. MacArthur's early work was predominantly in supporting roles in films. Later, he had a starring role as ...
(fourth son of John Macarthur), his cousin Hannibal Macarthur
Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur (16 January 1788 – 21 October 1861) was an Australian colonist, politician, businessman and wool pioneer. The nephew of John Macarthur and son-in-law of former New South Wales governor, Philip Gidley King, he was w ...
and his brother-in-law, Principal Surgeon, James Bowman.foot rot
Foot rot, or infectious pododermatitis, is a hoof infection commonly found in sheep, goats, and cattle. As the name suggests, it rots away the foot of the animal, more specifically the area between the two toes of the affected animal. It is extrem ...
and other diseases as well as older ewes that could not raise lambs. Dawson eventually refused to buy any more stock from the committee and so they set about to have him dismissed.
The committee were successful in having Dawson dismissed but they were also dismissed and their reputations damaged. Dawson returned to NSW in 1839 with his second wife to superintend his estate and was appointed as magistrate for the area.[
]
Legacy
As a result of and during his work as the chief agent, Dawson built and named many places and rivers in the area including , Carrington
Carrington and Carington are surnames originating from one of the Carringtons in England, or from the town of Carentan in Normandy, France. It is also rarely a given name.
Surname Scientists
* Alan Carrington (1934–2013), British chemist
*Benj ...
, , , , , and the Barrington and Manning
Manning (a.k.a. Mannion, Manning) is a family name.
Origin and meaning
Manning is from an old Norse word — manningi — meaning a brave or valiant man; and one of the first forms of the name was Mannin; another cartography was Manny ...
rivers.[
Robert Dawson had a very good relationship with the local Worimi Aboriginal people and his own staff and the convicts appointed to him as he was a man with great humility and compassion. He was highly regarded by the AA Co. directors in England as the reports they had heard from his progress and achievements in Australia were highly commendable.
This led to him publishing his second book, "The Present State of Australia; a Description of the Country, its Advantages and Prospects with Reference to Emigration: and a Particular Account of its Aboriginal Inhabitants". It was this book that he left a lasting legacy as not only it was in part the story of the establishment of the Australian Agricultural Company, but it also a fundamental resource book on New England’s Aboriginal peoples. Dawson liked them, respected them and employed them.]
See also
* Tahlee
Tahlee is a heritage-listed former pastoral property of in the suburb of Tahlee situated on the north side of Port Stephens near Karuah in New South Wales, Australia. It is the original site of the Australian Agricultural Company and more re ...
heritage-listed former pastoral property
References
External links
A sketch of my father's life, Robert Dawson, of Bentley Lodge, Great Bentley, Essex, England
(Ebook)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawson, Robert
1782 births
1866 deaths
People from Essex (before 1965)
Australian pastoralists
People from New South Wales
Place of death missing
19th-century Australian businesspeople