BLAIR, WILLIAM NEWSHAM (1840-91) was born at Islay, Argyllshire, the son of a farmer and flourmiller who owned mills at Dumbarton, Greenock and Islay. He was educated at Ballygrant parish school and then articled to a surveyor in Oban. On the completion of his papers he entered the office in Edinburgh of Sir Thomas Bouch, constructor of the Tay Bridge. While staying with his brother in Islay, he received an engagement to survey the boundaries of the Kildalton estate. Sailing from Glasgow in the Daniel Rankine, he arrived in Otago at the end of 1863, and was at once engaged by T. Paterson on the provincial survey staff. As surveyor and road engineer he was employed on the Dunedin, Clutha, Winton and Kingston railway lines. In 1867 he married a daughter of Robert Kennedy, of Oban. The railways having been taken over by the general Government, Blair was appointed (1871) district engineer in the public works department. He made a number of reconnaissance surveys in Otago and Canterbury (1877-79) and laid down a proposed scheme of railways for the whole of the South Island, including the Otago Central and Midland. In 1878 when John Carruthers, engineer-in-chief, went to England Blair became engineer in charge of the Middle Island (Blackett occupying the same position in the North Island). In 1884 he was appointed assistant engineer-in-chief. He made an important exploration of the King Country to report on the North Island main trunk railway. In 1890 Blair was appointed engineer-in-chief and Under-Secretary for Public Works. During his regime, 113 miles of railway and many important public works were constructed, including the Wingatui viaduct and bridges on the Otago Central. He was a capable engineer and organiser and possessed a wide general knowledge. Blair was convenor of the building committee for the new First Church in Dunedin. In the sixties he prepared plans for a bridge over the Rangitata river, which was the first cylinder bridge in the Colony. Amongst Blair's publications were The Building Materials of Otago (1879) and Reminiscences of Islay (read before the Gaelic Society), and several reports on industries and public works (M.I.C.E., 1877). He died on 4 May 1891.

Cycl. NZ; Bruce Herald, 3 Sep 1875.

Reference: Volume 1, page 53

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