BALFOUR, JAMES MELVILLE (1831-69), the son of the Rev. Lewis Balfour, D.D., of Colinton, and cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson, was born in Edinburgh and educated at the Edinburgh High School. He studied engineering, was a pupil of his brother-in-law, Stevenson, the lighthouse builder, and had a wide experience in Great Britain, mainly in marine engineering. In 1863 he came to New Zealand under a three years' engagement to the Otago Provincial Government. Amongst the works he carried out there were the survey of the Molyneux bar and Waikawa harbour, plans for the lighthouses at Dog Island and Taiaroa Heads, for the Dunedin waterworks and the graving dock at Port Chalmers. He was appointed in 1867 marine engineer for the Colony and in this capacity designed the lighthouses at Farewell Spit and Cape Campbell, carried out a marine survey of the coast of Taranaki and planned the harbour works at Timaru. He was drowned on 18 Dec 1869 while landing at Oamaru to attend the funeral of the railway engineer Thomas Paterson (q.v.), who was drowned in the Kakanui river. Balfour married Christina, daughter of George Simson, RSA.

Otago P.C.; Proc. 1864-67; App. H.R. 1867-69; Cant. O.N.; MS journal in Turnbull Library.

Reference: Volume 1, page 32

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