James Blackburn

James Blackburn (10 August 1803 – 3 March 1854) was an English civil engineer, surveyor and architect best known for his work in Colonial Australia. Transported to Van Diemen's Land as a sentence for forgery, Blackburn is notable for his work in both the Colony of Tasmania and the Colony of Victoria; and, in Tasmania, 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, in 1854, Blackburn died of typhoid, with five of his ten children, eight of which had been born in Australia, surviving him.

Life Blackburn was born on 10 August 1803 in Upton, West Ham, 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 for which he was convicted, sentenced to life imprisonment, In August 1836, Blackburn's detailed work had been examined by sixteen senior government officials and he was permitted a free pardon in January 1840 which became effective in May 1841.

In July 1853, the construction of St Mark's Church in Fitzroy, began to designs by Blackburn and his son, also called James. 1837 – Glenorchy Watch House - since demolished 1838 – St Mary's Kempton 1839 – Longford Gaol 1839 – Spring Hill Watch House 1839 – St Matthew's Church, Glenorchy 1839 – St Mark's Church, Pontville 1839 – St Matthew's Church, Rokeby 1840 – St Andrew's Church, nave only, Westbury 1840 – Scots Presbyterian Schurch, Sorell 1841 – Holy Trinity Rectory, Hobart 1841 – Porticos on Public Offices, Murray Street, Hobart 1841 – Holy Trinity Church, Launceston - since demolished 1841 – Tower and vestries only, St George's Church, Battery Point 1847 – Holy Trinity Church, North Hobart

Notable church projects St Mark's, Pontville St Mark's is an Anglican church in Pontville, Tasmania. It was sited by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, in 1821. It was designed by Blackburn in a distinctive neo-Norman style and built between 1839 and 1841 by Joseph Moir at a cost of approximately £2,600. It is constructed from local Brighton stone. The main façade incorporates a central Norman doorway flanked by raking arcades and low towers. The interior includes elaborately carved furniture by Hobart woodcarver Ernest Osborne. Between the front two towers, effectively recessed by their juxtaposition is the entrance porch which comprises two central Tuscan columns supporting a segmented arch with zigzag decoration and inversely castellated cornice, reminiscent of a sun temple, with miniature raked colonnades either side. It is unique, though architecturally it has affinities with at least two other Tasmanian churches, the Presbyterian Church at Glenorchy and the New Town Congregational Church. The designs of those buildings mark the earliest colonial appearances of the Romanesque style in the history of Australian architecture.

Holy Trinity church, Hobart

Blackburn's Holy Trinity, is a good example of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical construction in sandstone. It has one of the oldest sets of bell in Australia. The foundation stone was laid by John Franklin in 1841 and construction was completed in 1848.

In Victoria 1853 – St Mark's Anglican Church, Fitzroy