Date of Birth: 25/11/1787
Place of Birth: London, Westminster, England
Date of Death: 27/09/1844
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Chief Justice |
30 Aug 1837 |
27 Aug 1844 |
6 years 11 months 29 days |
|
| Acting Chief Justice |
19 Apr 1836 |
29 Aug 1837 |
1 year 4 months 11 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
19 Apr 1836 |
05 Jan 1843 |
6 years 8 months 18 days |
An Appointed Member of the first Legislative Council 1824 - 1843 |
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (barrister) and Journalist. Parliamentary reporter; lawyer; Chief Justice of New South Wales 1837 - 1844. Educated at St Paul's School, London and became a Parliamentary reporter until he was called to the Bar in May in 1815. In June 1827 applied for an appointment to the Colonial Office and with considerable assistance obtained a puisne judgeship in New South Wales. Arrived in Sydney with his wife and six children on 24 February 1828 and the next day was sworn in. In 1840 became Chief Justice of New South Wales. Collapsed on the Bench from ill health and died before sailing overseas to recuperate.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Vincent Dowling of Queen's County, Ireland, and later a bookseller and press associate in London, England. Married (1) Maria Sheen (d. 1834) in 1814 and had issue, ten children, four of whom died in infancy. Married (2) Harriet Blaxland Ritchie in September 1835, the widowed daughter of John Blaxland.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1
