sketcher, teacher and scientific writer, was born in Hexham, Northumberland, son of Martin Dobson. After leaving Hexham Grammar School he taught English at a school near Calais, then was mathematical tutor at Thorogood’s School, Totteridge. He entered St John’s College, Cambridge in 1845, graduating BA (17th wrangler) in 1849 and MA in 1876. He arrived at Hobart Town on 12 January 1850, and until 1853 was mathematics master at the Hobart Town High School. He then returned to England and became assistant master of Greenwich Hospital School, headmaster of the training frigate Conway on the Mersey, then headmaster of his old grammar school at Hexham (1863 76). He ended his career as headmaster of the Marine School, South Shields, Durham, remaining there until his death on 8 October 1885.
Dobson was a pioneer in cyclonology and invented a machine to illustrate the deviation of the compass in iron ships. Author of six books on storms, cyclones and hurricanes, including Australasian Cyclonology (1853), The Hurricanes of the South Pacific Ocean (1859 60) and many scientific papers (some published in 1870 in aid of the Royal Lifeboat Institution), he was also interested in local history and wrote a History of Hexham . Most of his Australian sketches relate to his scientific interests, but a watercolour landscape, Lake St. Clair, Source of the Derwent, Mount Olympus , is known (1850, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston).
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
