Born at Campsall in Yorkshire on August 30th, 1815, the son of Thomas Dawson Bowker, of Hatfield, and Elizabeth, *née* Steer, of Temple Belwood, Isle of Axholme. He was apprenticed at the age of 16 at the Nottingham General Dispensary, and practised for some years at Bingham, Notts. He then made two voyages to New South Wales as Medical Superintendent of an emigrant ship, and settled for some time at Newcastle, NSW. He returned to Newcastle in 1853 after a visit to India for purposes of research, and continued in practice there till 1874, when he removed to Sydney. In 1854 he visited England, and obtained the FRCS as well as the Extra-Licentiateship of the Royal College of Physicians, London, which entitled him to take up the MRCP on abandoning any pecuniary interest in the dispensing of medicines. During this visit he became the warm friend of George Critchett (qv) and William Bowman (qv), and these friendships were only severed by death. He built up a very large practice at Newcastle, says his biographer, “his reputation spreading to the northern districts of the state and to Queensland, whence large numbers of patients visited him, as well as many from Sydney. For many years before the days of specialists, he enjoyed the reputation of being the chief ophthalmic surgeon in the state, and was very successful in cataract operations.” In 1874 he took up his residence at Avoca, Darling Point, Sydney, and carried on a large practice in consulting-rooms in the town. He took no part in the local medical societies and did not much associate with his colleagues, but was adored by his patients, in whose experience his gentle, courteous manner was probably not only delightful but also unusual. He was a Member of the Legislature, and introduced one or two medical Bills, which did not become law. At one time he was most active in endeavouring to improve the public school buildings so as greatly to increase their area and ventilation. Retiring in disposition, he was always a student, a good French speaker, and a fair classic. His amusements were chess and sport, especially horse-racing, and he made a point of setting apart one day each week as a holiday. His services were freely given to the sick regardless of pecuniary remuneration, and the gratuitous performance of a cataract operation would at all times claim his attention in preference to seeing any number of paying patients. He died at Avoca on Friday, April 3rd, 1903.