page_title: Arthur Dudley Dobson
section_title: Family, death and commemoration
hierarchical_section_title: Arthur Dudley Dobson / Family, death and commemoration
caption_attribution_description: Arthur Dudley Dobson Memorial (detail), near Otira Gorge, New Zealand
context_page_description: Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson was a pioneer surveyor, engineer and explorer. Born in London, he came to Lyttelton, New Zealand in 1850 on one of the First Four Ships. He is best known for taking the first party of Europeans over Arthur's Pass.
context_section_description: Dobson married Eleanor, the daughter of the Nelson Provincial Council survey staff member Henry Lewis, on 20 November 1866 at Nelson. They had four children.
  Haast became Dobson's brother in law on 25 June 1863, by marrying his sister Mary at St Mary's Church in Heathcote Valley. The couple had four sons and a daughter.
  His first son Arthur George Dobson, Selwyn County engineer, died on 17 January 1905 (aged 37) after having been thrown from a cart. He was buried at Linwood Cemetery two days later.
  His wife died on 27 September 1930, aged 83 years. His second son, Ernest Henry Dobson, also died before him. He is also buried in Linwood Cemetery (but in a different area of it), having died on 16 October 1931. He was interred the following day. His headstone reads: "In loving memory of Ernest Henry beloved husband of Elizabeth Mary DOBSON and second son of Sir Arthur Dudley and the late Eleanor DOBSON Died 16th October 1931 aged 62 years At rest"
  Arthur Dobson died on 5 March 1934 at Christchurch of cardiac arrest. He was buried at Linwood Cemetery the following day in the same plot as his first son and his wife. His tombstone reads:
  Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson K.B. d 5 March 1934 aged 92. Discoverer of Arthur's Pass, 1863. District Engineer, Nelson-Westport goldfield 1878. City Engineer of Christchurch from 1901 to 1921.
  Arthur's Pass was named by his father for him, and the village and the National Park are derived from his name, too. A memorial cairn is placed at the alpine pass.
  Dobson Street in Spreydon is named for him.
caption: Arthur's Pass memorial plaque
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