Robert_Dixon_(explorer)
Robert Dixon (explorer)
Australian surveyor and explorer
Robert Harald Lindsay Dixon (1800–1858) was an Australian surveyor and explorer, born in Cockfield, County Durham,[2] England.[3] A number of the place-names originally proposed by Dixon were later disregarded in favour of names of Aboriginal origin.
In 1831–32 Dixon carried out surveys in the Upper Hunter and New England districts.[4][5]
Having failed to gain reinstatement, Dixon moved to Moreton Bay. On 24 July 1839 he married Margaret Sibly, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Sibly of St Neot in Cornwall.
During that year, Dixon, with assistant surveyors Granville Stapylton and James Warner, began a trigonometrical survey of Moreton Bay for the Government to facilitate free settlement.[6] A baseline of 3 miles (4.8 km) was measured on Normanby Plains (today's Harrisville, south of Ipswich) as a foundation for the triangulation. Dixon was instructed to compile a plan of the district for land sales and town reserves.[7][8] This angered Governor Sir George Gipps,[9]
Dixon died, at age 58, on 8 April 1858 in Sydney. He was survived by his wife and three of their six children.[3]