Robert Dawson (1782–1866) was a company agent and pastoralist in New South Wales in the early part of the nineteenth century. He was born in Essex, England and was the youngest son of Joseph Dawson. Dawson was working in England as the estate manager for Viscount Barrington's estate, Becket, when he was approached by John Macarthur junior, and old school friend, to apply for the post of chief agent in New South Wales for the newly formed Australian Agricultural Co. (AA Co.) in which he was to establish and administer a pastoral grant of 1,000,000 acres (404,686 ha) subject to a committee resident there.The AA co. appointed Robert Dawson as their chief agent and appointed a Colonial Committee to assist him. This committee was entrusted by the directors in England with 'extensive discretiona