He made a sketching tour of the European Continent, his drawings from which were exhibited in the architecture section of the Royal Academy.

[5] Edward Dobson married Mary Ann Lough (1821–1913) on 7 May 1839 at Shoreditch, London, and they were to have ten children.

[7] With two of his children, George (1840–1866) and Arthur Dudley (1841–1934), Dobson emigrated to Canterbury on the Cressy, one of the First Four Ships.

[7] Life with two young sons was challenging, and they were sent to their uncle, Reverend Charles Dobson, the vicar of Buckland in Tasmania.

After three years, they returned to New Zealand and initially stayed with another uncle, the surveyor Alfred Dobson.

The remaining children were born in New Zealand: Robert (1852–1893), Emily Frances (1857–1943), Herbert Alex (1860–1948) and Collet Barker (1861–1926).

[6] In New Zealand, he was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of many important public works, having been appointed provincial engineer in 1854.

The chief surveyor, Thomas Cass, commissioned Arthur Dobson in 1864 to find out whether there is a suitable pass from the Waimakariri watershed to the West Coast.

George and Arthur Dobson set out in March 1864, later to be joined by their brother Edward at Craigieburn.

While George surveyed road lines there, Edward and Arthur proceeded to explore the high country.

Arthur prepared a report, which included a sketch of the unnamed pass, and presented it to Cass.

Edward Dobson was commissioned to examine every possible pass to the West Coast from the watersheds of the Waimakariri, Taramakau and Hurunui Rivers.

[9] The provincial government decided that a road was to be built between Christchurch and Hokitika, a distance of 156 miles (251 km), and Edward Dobson was put in charge of the project.

[5] He built a cob cottage in Sumner, and another house in central Christchurch in the block described by Tuam, Manchester and High Streets.