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twobobbwana
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Reged: 25/11/11
Posts: 299
Loc: Queensland, Australia
What do we know about John Dawkins ??
      #248108 - 29/05/14 10:43 AM

I have seen reference to John Dawkins in Taylors books.

That he had a cattle "ranch" in Australia and that Taylor had visited Australia.

I spoke to a couple of guys at SCI Coffs Harbour years ago and said that he came down to some shooting event in Adelaide ??? or Melbourne ???.

What do we know about him ???? where was his cattle "ranch" ???

Are there any pictures of him ??...........especially in Australia ??


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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39896
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: twobobbwana]
      #248113 - 29/05/14 01:50 PM

John Dawkins was a South Australian and had a sheep property, maybe cattle, in the South East of SA.

He died only a few years ago. I missed out on meeting him. An acquaintance of mine, a PH from Zimbabwe who was or is living in Adelaide after loosing his farm in Zimbabwe, just telephoned him and arranged a meeting at his property and went down to chat. I wish I had thought of this, and John Dawkins was reported to be a very approachable man. John died as a result of burns received from an accident with fuel from a bird/pheasant incubator. I believe he was in his eighties.

John Dawkins held pheasant/bird shoots on his SE property each year for invited guests.

John Taylor was a friend of his and visited him at least twice in South Australia. One of his books was written on Dawkin's property in the SE - "Maneaters and Marauders". I believe Dawkins and Taylor also hunted water buffalo in the NT together as well.

John Dawkins wrotea book titled "Rogues and Marauders". It is a good book and worth reading. I have two or three copies, a later edition, out of print, and then a first edition. It can be quite costly but sometimes decently priced copies can be found. I would love to publish an online edition if permission could be granted. Or maybe as an audio recording.

John Dawkins hunted with Taylor in Africa, and sometimes under Taylor's elephant licence. It was common practice for white hunters to hunt more than the licensed elephants for ivory by shooting additional elephants from other persons licenses, who either could not hunt or did not want to hunt themselves, sharing some of the ivory profits.

Yes John Taylor was a homosexual. I had this confirmed by the son of another Australian who also had hunted with Taylor in Tanzania.

John Dawkins often hunted with his wife in Tanzania, and amusingly often they lived in a caravan travelling around in it in the African bush. First time I have heard of a caravan in the African bush in those days.

There is probably a lot more on the NE forums. Do a search on "John Dawkins".

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


Edited by NitroX (29/05/14 02:03 PM)


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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #248114 - 29/05/14 01:55 PM

He had a number of firearms sold as part of his estate, or one kept by a relative.

They included from memory:

a .333 Jeffery double rifle.

a .450 / shotgun barrel Holland & Holland "Cape gun" made from a double rifle, where one barrel was bored out to a shotgun barrel. (edited) A 20 gauge barrel per my records.

a .450 Rigby double rifle.

I think there was a .450/400 as well, but am not sure. (Edited) Yes he did have a Jeffery double rifle in this chambering as well.

Bolt actions in 8x60S mm and 9.3x62 mm.

It would be great if these could all be identified so their provenance could be kept for the future. I know or knew where two of them are or were, and probably the family one as well.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


Edited by NitroX (29/05/14 02:46 PM)


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #248115 - 29/05/14 02:00 PM


John "Pondoro" Taylor and John Dawkins



Quote:

Taylor was in Australia for about 3 years at the invitation of John Dawkins. There he wrote " Maneaters and Marauders " and " Shadows of Shame. " Dawkins, on his first trip to Africa, had written to Taylor in Africa, and got together with [him] when he arrived. They hunted together and then left for Oz.




http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=59425&an=&page=0&vc=1



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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #248116 - 29/05/14 02:04 PM





http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=John+Dawkins&sts=t&tn=Rogues+and+marauders


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #248119 - 29/05/14 02:23 PM

Doubles of "Rogues and Marauders"
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=13269&an=&page=0&vc=1

Vale: Mr John Dawkins
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=7238&an=&page=0&vc=1

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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Rockdoc
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #248122 - 29/05/14 02:38 PM

Thanks John, great write-up. I would love to get hold of a copy of his book. I knew a little but not much of him. I think Taylor had him poach his first ele with him?

Cheers, Chris


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Sville
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Reged: 23/03/10
Posts: 1189
Loc: Sweden
Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: Rockdoc]
      #248140 - 30/05/14 03:02 AM

Must have been an interesting man.

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twobobbwana
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Reged: 25/11/11
Posts: 299
Loc: Queensland, Australia
Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: Sville]
      #248158 - 30/05/14 10:44 AM

Nitro X,

Yes I've got Maneaters and Marauders......that's probably where I got the "australian" comments on John Dawkins.......though I have other Taylor books.

I think you'd be doing us a hell of a favour posting pictures of his firearms and possibly doing a writeup on him as he is an "historic" figure.

A similar writeup of Fletcher Jamieson would also be great if further intel is available.

It would also be a shame to see the history of the firearms lost.

I saw a picture of Dawkin's hammer double in one of the Taylor books..........is this one of the one's you know of ???

Historic firearms come up for auction occasionally and their "stories" are what make them outstanding.

Thanking you for the information............but eagerly awaiting more.


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twobobbwana
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Reged: 25/11/11
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Loc: Queensland, Australia
Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: twobobbwana]
      #248159 - 30/05/14 10:45 AM

make that Rogues and Marauders !!!

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: twobobbwana]
      #248187 - 30/05/14 02:35 PM

Yes your post has prompted me to try to do something about it.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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ozhunter
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Loc: Sydney, Australia
Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #248275 - 01/06/14 08:31 PM

One of Harold Wolf's "HATARI" magazines that concentrated on Aus hunting had an article on John.

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: ozhunter]
      #248299 - 02/06/14 04:12 AM

Quote:

One of Harold Wolf's "HATARI" magazines that concentrated on Aus hunting had an article on John.




Thanks. I will have to look for it.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #368240 - 10/08/22 12:26 AM

Quote:





http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=John+Dawkins&sts=t&tn=Rogues+and+marauders





Copy for sale on eBay currently.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/253440020242

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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NitroXAdministrator
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John Dawkins "Rogues and Marauders" [Re: NitroX]
      #368241 - 10/08/22 01:34 AM

https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/rogues-and-marauders/author/john-dawkins/first-edition/

More copies.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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3DogMike
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Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1465
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA
Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: NitroX]
      #368244 - 10/08/22 01:50 PM

Quote:

Quote:





http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=John+Dawkins&sts=t&tn=Rogues+and+marauders





Copy for sale on eBay currently.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/253440020242




Nitro John,
Thanks for the link……just bought that copy off the eBay seller. Looking forward to the book.
Love John Taylor's writing.
Would have been pretty interesting to know these rather "colorful" individuals back in the day. Just would have been mindful of not dropping the soap bar.
- Mike

--------------------
"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: What do we know about John Dawkins ?? [Re: 3DogMike]
      #368254 - 10/08/22 11:25 PM

Excellent. The AbeBooks link lists more copies.

John Dawkins knew John Taylor. Hunted with him in Tanzania. Hosted him at his farm in SE South Australia. One of Taylor's books was written there. I think they hunted water buffalo together as well.

Dawkins book is enjoyable. He made a living from ivory hunting on the limited licences, where say some Indian shopkeeper had a licence, agreed for a hunter to use it for a share of ivory sale proceeds. Only hunter I have read who travelled around towing a caravan for him and hiscwufe to live in, in Tanzania. I wonder what the roads and tracks were like.

I missed out on meeting him but not making the effort. Didn't think of it until speaking to an ex Zim PH living here, who did look him up. Then John Dawkins died from an accident with a pheasant incubator burning him.


--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


Edited by NitroX (10/08/22 11:37 PM)


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