John Dobson OAM (1945-2018) was widely known on the Sunshine Coast as a regional leader dedicated to the community. In March 2017, John retired from the University Council after 20 years of service, including a decade as USC Chancellor.

During a period of unprecedented growth and change for the University, John provided exemplary leadership. He was a key player in championing a productive partnership between governance and management and was an active contributor to many aspects of the University’s business.

A Patron of the University’s Foundation Board, John was a fantastic ambassador for philanthropy at USC. He maintained that education is the best investment we can make and to that end was instrumental in pursuing philanthropic interests to assist in securing benefits to USC. In addition, he brought to USC insight gained through his interactions with people over the whole broad spectrum of human experience.

As Chancellor, John showed his genuine interest in students when they were at USC, engaging informally at the coffee shops and generally striking up conversations to make sure that he was in touch with the cohort and their concerns.