Ruth Dobson
{{Short description|Australian public servant, diplomat (1918–1989)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ruth Dobson
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100%|country=AUS-cats|OBE}}
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Ruth Violet Lissant Dobson
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|10|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = Neutral Bay, New South Wales, Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1989|12|14|1918|10|05|df=y}}
| death_place = Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
| occupation = {{Hlist | Public servant | diplomat}}
| years_active =
| website =
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| parents =
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| education = University of Sydney (BA)
| spouse =
}}
Ruth Violet Lissant Dobson {{post-nominals|country=AUS-cats|OBE}} (5 October 1918{{spaced endash}}14 December 1989) was an Australian public servant and diplomat.
Life and career
Ruth Dobson was born in Neutral Bay, NSW on 5 October 1918. Her younger sister was the poet Rosemary Dobson. Dobson was just seven years old when her father died.{{citation|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dobson-ruth-violet-12424|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210070626/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dobson-ruth-violet-12424|archivedate=10 February 2016|title=Dobson, Ruth Violet (1918–1989)|date=2007|first=Syliva|last=Marchant|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=Australian National University}}{{Citation | author1=Dobson, Ruth | author2=Hamilton, Ian | title=Ruth Dobson interviewed by Ian Hamilton | publication-date=1984 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/16592275 | accessdate=10 February 2016 }}
Dobson joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1943 as a research assistant in the Department of External Affairs,{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120867727|title=Obituary: Ruth Dobson - A Brilliant Career|date=20 December 1989|page=2|newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT}}{{cite press release|url=http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/2005/050308_wwfa.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212033656/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/2005/050308_wwfa.html|archivedate=12 February 2014|first=Alexander|last=Downer|author-link=Alexander Downer|date=8 March 2005|title=Speech notes: To launch the DFAT Exhibition "Women Working for Australia" On the occasion of International Women's Day 2005}} having unsuccessfully applied for a cadetship earlier that year.
In 1965, Dobson was seconded to Government House as private secretary to Lady Casey. Her 16 month secondment was followed by an appointment as First Secretary in the Australian Embassy in the Philippines.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106958982|title=En route to Manila|date=26 January 1967|page=19|newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT}}
In 1974, when appointed Australian Ambassador to Denmark, Dobson became the first Australian woman career diplomat to be appointed an ambassador.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110776599|title=New envoy guest speaker|date=3 May 1974|page=7|newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT}} She was the second Australian woman to work in an ambassadorial role—Dame Annabelle Rankin had been appointed High Commissioner to New Zealand in 1971, but Rankin's was a political appointment.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116403139|title=Life not busy enough for a former ambassador|newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT|date=26 December 1983|page=6|first=Bill|last=Goodall}}
In 1978, Dobson was appointed Australian Ambassador to Ireland.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110921325|title=Reception|date=4 November 1978|page=8|newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT}} At the end of the posting, in 1981, Dobson retired.
Awards and honours
Dobson was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1982, in recognition of her services to the Australian Public Service.{{citation|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1107683|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211080041/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1107683&search_type=quick&showInd=true|archivedate=11 February 2016 |publisher=Australian Government|title=Search Australian Honours: DOBSON, Ruth Lissant, The Order of the British Empire - Officer (Civil)}}
In late 2016, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade named one of its 16 meeting rooms in honour of Dobson, in recognition of her work as a pioneering female diplomat.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/dfat-renames-meeting-rooms-after-female-diplomats/news-story/db7784879433eb6f3309d90b6b278212|accessdate=5 February 2017|newspaper=The Australian|publisher=News Corp|date=11 January 2017|first1=Rosie|last1=Lewis|title=DFAT renames meeting rooms after female diplomats}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef|before=Gerald Harding|as=Chargé d'affaires}}
{{s-ttl|title=Australian Ambassador to Denmark|years=1974–1978}}
{{s-aft|after=James Humphreys}}
{{s-bef|before=Brian Hill}}
{{s-ttl|title=Australian Ambassador to Ireland|years=1978–1981}}
{{s-aft|after=Lloyd Thomson}}
{{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobson, Ruth}}
Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Denmark
Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Ireland
Category:Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:University of Sydney alumni