• Title
  Miniature portraits of Robert Dawson and Joseph Dawson
• Call number
  MIN 576
  MIN 577
  
• Level of description
  fonds
• Date
  
  1820s-1830s
• Type of material
  Graphic Materials, Watercolours
• Reference code
  9668847
• Physical Description
  2 watercolours - on oval card, in frame - visible image 80 x 65 mm, in frame 135 x 117 mm or smaller
  
• ADMINISTRATIVE/ BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
  
  Robert Dawson (1782-1866) was born in Essex, England, the youngest son of Joseph Dawson. In 1825, he arrived in Sydney to take up the post of chief agent in NSW of the newly formed Australian Agricultural Co. He headed north to inspect the area between Port Stephens and the Manning River which the local committee had thought was most suitable for the company's activities. The local committee, after influencing Dawson in his choice of site, proceeded to foist upon the company, at high prices, old and diseased sheep from their own flocks. Dawson eventually refused to buy any more stock from the committee with the result that in April 1828 he was accused of mismanagement and suspended. A year later, following James Macarthur's report to the court of directors in London, he was dismissed. Dawson then returned to England. in 1839 he returned to NSW to superintend his estate on the upper Hunter. He returned to England in 1862 where he died in 1866.
  
  References:
  Flowers, E. 'Dawson, Robert (1782–1866)', Australian Dictionary of Biography. Accessed 27 June 2023.
  https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dawson-robert-1969/text2379
  Library acquisition file
  
• Collection history
  By descent from Robert Dawson to Keith Lamotte
• Scope and Content
  1. Miniature portrait of Robert Dawson (MIN 576)
  2. Miniature portrait of Joseph Dawson (MIN 577)
• Access Conditions
  
  Access via appointment
• Copying Conditions
  Out of copyright:
  Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
• General note
  
  Both portraits appears to be executed by the same unknown artist.
• Signatures / Inscriptions
  
  Contemporary iron gall ink inscriptions on labels on reverse of backing papers, 'Robert Dawson' with 'Our Uncle' (possibly) struck out, and 'Joseph Dawson Our Father'
• Date note
  
  Joseph Dawson did not visit Australia, so it is likely that the portraits were painted before 1825, prior to Robert Dawson's departure for NSW, or between 1829 and 1839 when he had returned to England.
• Subject
  Businessmen--New South Wales--Portraits.
  Judges--New South Wales--Portraits.
  
• Open Rosetta viewer
  IE21147147

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