Background
Dobson was born at Carr Hill, Gateshead, Durham, England, the elder son of John Dobson, a solicitor at Gateshead, and his first wife Mary Ann, née Atkinson (1811–1837).
Dobson was born at Carr Hill, Gateshead, Durham, England, the elder son of John Dobson, a solicitor at Gateshead, and his first wife Mary Ann, née Atkinson (1811–1837).
He was educated at Christ College and The Hutchins School at Hobart.
William was full brother to Frank and half-brother to Alfred and Henry Dobson. After leaving school Dobson spent 18 months in the public service, returned to England, and entered at the Middle Temple. At the Inns of Court examination held in June 1856 Dobson took first place and was admitted to the bar on 6 June 1856.
Dobson returned to Tasmania at the end of 1856 and was admitted to practise as a barrister on 22 January 1857.
In 1859 Dobson was appointed crown solicitor. Dobson represented Campbell Town 1864-1870.
When James Whyte became premier, Dobson was elected leader of the opposition, on 24 November 1866 became attorney-general again under Sir Richard Dry, holding the same position in the succeeding James Wilson ministry (after Dry"s death) from 4 August 1869 to 5 February 1870. Dobson was then appointed a puisne judge in the Supreme Court of Tasmania, at just 36 years of age.
In 1884 he was acting chief justice, and on 2 February 1885 became chief justice.
He held this position until his death on 17 March 1898. Dobson acted as deputy-governor in 1884, 1886-1887 and 1892-1893. Dobson was chancellor of the University of Tasmania, president of the leading sporting bodies, vice-president of the Royal Society of Tasmania and the Art Society of Tasmania, and trustee of the Tasmanian museum, art gallery and botanical gardens.
Dobson was knighted in 1886 by Queen Victoria on a visit to London and appointed Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George in 1897.
Although not giving the impression of being a brilliant lawyer, he was an exceedingly sound one. lieutenant has been stated that during his judicial career he never had a decision reversed by a higher court.
One of Dobson"s brothers was Henry Dobson, a premier of Tasmania. Another brother, Frank Stanley Dobson (1835-1895) was a solicitor-general in Victoria 1881 to 1883.
A third brother, Alfred Dobson (1848–1908), was attorney-general in the first Philip Fysh ministry from 1877 to 1878, leader of the opposition 1883 to 1884, and speaker of the house from July 1885 to 1887.
Dobson was elected a member of the house of assembly for Hobart, and on 6 February 1861 became attorney-general in the second William Weston ministry, continued in this position when the ministry was reconstituted under Thomas Chapman, and remained in office until January 1863. Dobson was a member of the Linnean Society, and much interested in botany and higher education generally. As a member of parliament he brought in the act which made education compulsory, and he was also responsible for the act abolishing imprisonment for debt.