Archibald McDowall

Archibald McDowall (2 December 1841 – 13 May 1918) was a Surveyor General of Queensland (then a colony, now a state of Australia).

Educated in Hobart, he studied surveying under James Erskine Calder, moving to Queensland in 1861.

On 13 May 1862 McDowall joined the Queensland Surveyor-General's Department and was appointed commissioner of crown lands, West Maranoa.

He introduced the standard steel tape for ground measurement to Queensland, replacing the chain.

[1] McDowall was Surveyor General of Queensland from 23 February 1891 until retiring on 30 June 1902.