Preceded by Les Johnson Preceded by Ray Thorburn Died November 25, 1996 Succeeded by Ray Thorburn Role Australian Politician | Preceded by New seat Name Don Dobie Succeeded by Les Johnson Succeeded by Stephen Mutch | |
Party Liberal Party of Australia Education University of Melbourne, Columbia University | ||
James Donald Mathieson "Don" Dobie (28 July 1927 – 25 November 1996) was an Australian politician. Born in Glasgow in Scotland, he migrated to Australia as a child and was educated at Brisbane Grammar School, the University of Melbourne, and Columbia University in New York. He then became an economist with a private bank until 1966, when he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for the Liberal Party, defeating Labor member Les Johnson for the seat of Hughes. A redistribution ahead of the 1969 election wiped out Dobie's majority and gave Labor a notional eight-percent majority—technically making it a safe Labor seat on paper. Believing this made Hughes unwinnable—especially with Johnson priming for a rematch—Dobie transferred to the new seat of Cook, created mostly out of the eastern portion of Hughes. This move proved prescient, as Johnson retook Hughes for Labor on a large swing while Dobie narrowly won Cook
On 20 August 1971, he was appointed Assistant Minister assisting the Prime Minister, William McMahon. In 1972, 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.