BLACKETT, JOHN (1819-93) was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, educated there and apprenticed to engineering with R. and W. Hawthorne (1834-41). He became draughtsman and office engineer to the Great Western Steamship Co. (1841) and in 1844 head engineer in iron shipbuilding and railway work with T. R. Guppy and Co. In 1846 he was appointed engineer to the copper mines at Cwm Avon, south Wales, and from 1848 he was in private practice as an engineer. In 1851 Blackett came to New Zealand with his family in the Sir Edward Paget and took up land near New Plymouth. In 1856 he moved to Nelson and in the following year was appointed provincial engineer. In that capacity he made wide explorations to open up the country on the West Coast and also to Marlborough and Canterbury. In 1859 he made a report on provincial works. He carried out the Nelson waterworks, reported on the goldfields (1863) and was a member of the provincial executive for some years. He was commissioner on the Nelson south west goldfields during the rush years (1864-66), his district including the Grey Valley and Inangahua and Buller counties. He had jurisdiction over about 8,000 miners and control of expenditure on public works wherever they seemed to be required. In 1871, on the inauguration of the public works policy, he was appointed acting engineer-in-chief for the colony, and had a heavy task initiating the roads and railways policy for the colony as a whole. He was also marine engineer. In 1878 the North Island was made a separate district, Blackett being in charge of it and Blair of the South Island. In 1884 Blackett became engineer-in-chief, with Blair as assistant. In 1890 he went to England as consulting and inspecting engineer to the Government. He returned to New Zealand in failing health, retired from the service and died on 8 Jan 1893.

Nelson P.C. Proc. and Gaz.; Cycl. N.Z., i (p); N.Z. Times, 4 Jan 1893.

Reference: Volume 1, page 52

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