James Blackburn (architect)
| James Blackburn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 10, 1803 West Ham, Essex, England |
| Died | March 3, 1854 (aged 50) |
| Cause of death | Typhoid |
James Blackburn (10 August 1803 – 3 March 1854) was an English civil engineer, surveyor and architect best known for his work in Australia, where he had been transported as a sentence for forgery. According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Blackburn "has claims to be considered one of the greatest engineers of his period in Australia, and his architectural achievements established him as Tasmania's most advanced and original architect." He was key to the formation of the Department of Public Works in 1839, serving as one of its core members under Alexander Cheyne.
On 3 May 1841 he was pardoned, whereupon he entered private practice with James Thomson, another a former convict. Among the notable constructions of the firm was the swing Bridgewater Bridge completed in 1849. After that project, Blackburn and his family moved to Melbourne, where in addition to resuming his architect career and pursuing other business interests, he became city surveyor. His most notable effort in this role was the conception and design of a water supply system for Melbourne which drew from the Yan Yean Reservoir. Three years later, on 3 March 1854, Blackburn died of typhoid, with five of his ten children, eight of which had been born in Australia, surviving him.
Blackburn was born on 10 August 1803 in Upton, West Ham, Essex, England. He was the third son born in a family of five children, four boys and one girl. His father and all of his brothers were scalemakers. At the age of 23, he was employed by the Commissioners of Sewers for Holborn and Finsbury and later on became an inspector of sewers. In 1833, suffering economic hardship, he forged a cheque and was penalized and transported to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania).
Blackburn was listed as a civil engineer and surveyor on the journey to Tasmania and was assigned to the Roads Department under Roderic O’Connor, a wealthy Irishman who was the Inspector of Roads and Bridges at the time.
In April 1843 Blackburn was assigned as an Engineer to the Roads Department according to an entry in the "Blue Book" in 1839. In August 1834 he handed in a report to the Government dealing with the water crisis which had been affecting the town of Launceston, Tasmania, for at least 10 years. In October of that year, Blackburn completed plans and sections which were proposed solutions to solve the crisis. In March 1835, the government still did not make up a decision. It was until half a year later when most people agreed on Blackburn’s proposal and in March 1836, constructions were finally put to work. Alexander Cheyne, who became the Inspector of Roads and Bridges after the resignation of O’Connor in December 1835, expressed his confidence in Blackburn.
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