THE DOBIE FAMILY IN AUSTRALIA
Dobie, Victoria 3377
Dobie Railway Siding
Dobies Bridge
The Dobie railway siding in the Ararat District of Victoria, was apparently
named after J. S. Dobie who was the manager of the Langi Ghiran station
in the area around 1857. The reference to "station" refres to
a large farm - not a railway sstation.
The Dobie railway siding consisted of a railway station and two railway houses, but nothing remains of it today.
J. S. Dobie or Jack Dobie, as he was more often known, is mentioned several times in passing in two books by Lorna Banfield "Green Pastures and Gold" and "Like the Ark".
In "Green Pastures and Gold"(p33) Lorna writes "Dobie , the manager of Langi Ghiran station, went off to South Africa but is remembered in the Ararat District by the name of a bridge and the railway siding."
I did some quick research on the Web for J.S. Dobie and it appears that he came to Australia from Glasgow and may have been quite famous - particularly for some later work he did in Africa. It also appears that he may have written several books. I am unable to establish any direct connection between J.S. Dobie and the Dobie family in Australia that originated from dumfriesshire, Scotland.
Location of the Dobie Railway Siding in the Ararat District of Victoria