John Blackett

Who is John Blackett?

John Blackett was a New Zealand engineer.

Blackett was born and educated in Newcastle upon Tyne, he was a pupil with Messrs. R. & W. Hawthorn, engineers, 1834-41; draughtsman and office engineer to the Great Western Steamship Company, 1841-4; head engineer in iron shipbuilding and railway work with T. R. Guppy, A.I.C.E., 1844-6; engineer to the Governor and Company of Copper Mines in England at Cwm Avon, South Wales, 1846-8. From 1848 to 1851 he practised privately as an engineer in England. In 1859 Blackett was appointed provincial engineer at Nelson, N.Z., and in 1870 was advanced to the position of Acting Engineer-in-chief for New Zealand, becoming also Marine Engineer in the following year. In 1878 he was made Engineer-in-charge of the North Island, and in 1884 Engineer-in-chief of the colony. Mr. Blackett then became Consulting Engineer of the Government of New Zealand in London.