DOBIE, James Donald Mathieson (Don) 

Don Dobie ( 28 July 1927-25 November 1996) was born in Glasgow, Scotland and migrated to Australia as a chld. He was educated at Brisbane Grammar School, the University of Melbourne (Bachelor of Commerce) and Columbia University (Master of Business Administration) in New York.

He worked for the Bank of New South Wales from 1943 to 1966 when he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as Liberal Party member for the seat of Hughes, defeating the sitting member Les Johnson. A redistribution ahead of the 1969 election wiped out Dobie’s majority making it a safe Labor seat on paper. Dobie transferred to the new seat of Cook which he narrowly won as Johnson retook Hughes for Labor on a large swing.

Don Dobie was Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, William McMahon, from 1971 to 1972. In the 1972 election, he was defeated by Labor’s Ray Thorburn but retook the seat in 1975 and was returned at every election until his retirement in 1996. He died later the same year and was cremated at Woronora Cemetery.

During his parliamentary career, Don Dobie was Deputy Chairman of Committees from 1970 to 1971 and 1979 to 1983, Chief Opposition Whip from 1983 to 1985 and a member of the Speaker’s Panel from 1994 to 1996. He contributed to the work of the Committee on the Environment, Recreation and the Arts, the House Committee, the Long Term Strategic Committee, the Community Affairs Committee and Members’Interests Committee.

Dobie was a committed, respected and popular local member. He was very connected to the life saving movement and the Cronulla Leagues Club. In his condolence motion to Parliament, John Howard described him as ‘one of the most unfailingly conscientious local members that you could ever find’ with ‘a brilliant understanding of the electorate’.

View the entry in the database for DOBIE, James Donald Mathieson (Don) and family. Click on his name at the heading of this page.