sketcher and surveyor, was an assistant surveyor in the New South Wales Surveyor-General’s Department under Thomas Mitchell . He made pioneer surveys of areas south-east of Sydney, including the Limestone Plains (now ACT and Queanbeyan district) in 1829. In 1831, he wrote in a lengthy report dated 18 July 1836, he was instructed 'to proceed to the Upper Hunter River districts for the purpose of laying down the principal features in the North West Districts’. After completing this and other extensive and energetic exploratory surveys, Dixon returned to England in 1836. Two of his sketches, View of Gummun Plains & Liverpool Range, N.S. Wales. Taken from Brindley Park (1835) and A View from Camden on the River Nepean, N.S. Wales (undated), were published as lithographs in 1837 by Webb & Son of Snow Hill, London (Mitchell Library). Simply initialled 'R.D.’, they provide a lively account of country life at this time, incorporating Aboriginal groups, kangaroo hunts, horsemen and well-fed cattle. Both prominently feature Dixon’s surveyor’s tent.
Dixon also published a map of New South Wales while in London, an action that proved his downfall. When he returned to Sydney in 1838, Mitchell refused to reinstate him because his map had been published without official approval (and so opened up the land to everyone). Dixon moved to Moreton Bay (Brisbane), married, and in 1840 was promoted surveyor in charge of the district. Almost immediately he published another unauthorised map and was suspended from duty. He moved back to Sydney and went into private practice as a surveyor. This failed as did a subsequent venture as manager of a gold-mine at Bathurst. He died in 1858.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
