I think you'll find that '4th July 1911' is probably the day the family last saw him.
Found a Henry Dowding plus a Mrs Dowding left Liverpool on the 'Osterley' on 7th July 1911 going to Freemantle, Australia. Was thrown off at first by his given occupation of Bricklayer!
'Mrs' turns out to be a Sarah Dowding arriving August 1911 (exact day not shown). Bizarrely, cannot find an arrival entry for Henry in lists.
From electoral rolls he was a Henry Edward Dowding with wife Sarah in Swan, WA in 1920's and 30's. Occupation 'Orchardist' which would tie in with his previous occupation of Fruiterer.
Henry Edward Dowding b.1871 buried 20/12/1950 Karrakatta, Nedlands City, WA (no parents names shown for him) and Sarah Dowding bc.1889 bur. 31/5/1977 same place (parents George and Ellen but no surname shown).
I then found some trees on Ancestry and it seems that Sarah was a Sarah Hardy born 19/3/1888 Deptford, Kent, dau. of George Henry Hardy and Ellen Torr.
Fact: there was no Henry Dowding bc.1871 who was a bricklayer in 1911
Fact: there is no marriage between a Henry Dowding and Sarah Hardy
Fact: there was only one Henry Edward Dowding born 1871 in UK (Bishops Stortford)
Fact: Sarah Hardy was a servant in Hornsey in 1911 (2nd April).
It would appear that Sarah was heavily pregnant when she and Henry arrived in Freemantle as trees I found show a daughter Florence Ellen Dowding was born there 13/8/1911!! just days after they arrived. Talk about cutting it fine!
So, it seems Henry Edward Dowding had been up to no good with Sarah Hardy and on 7th July 1911 they sailed for Australia. As I said earlier, I'm guessing that '4th July' is the date when his family here last saw him.
Annette