Queensland Architects Database

Blacket, Cyril

BLACKET, Cyril (1857-1937) was born at Glebe, Sydney, third son of son of ET BLACKET and Sarah Mease. After completing articles with his father, he qualified as an Associate of the RIBA in London. After returning to Australia through Canada and the United States, he entered partnership with his father as BLACKET & SON. After ET Blacket’s death in February 1883, he continued the practice in partnership with his brother Arthur BLACKET as BLACKET BROS. From 1880 Cyril was a Lecturer at the University of Sydney and the Sydney Technological College where in 1884 he succeeded John KIRKPATRICK as Head of Department. From 1882, he also taught at the University of Sydney, until in 1886 ill-health forced his retirement from both teaching and practice and moved to “Tasman Park”, St. George’s Basin, Shoalhaven, in southern NSW. He resumed sole practice at Nowra in 1888. Although from 1889 Arthur was his Sydney agent, when Cyril resumed practice in Sydney late in 1892, it was by himself. By then he had resigned from both the RIBA and IANSW and was critical of the local Institute. From 1894 he resumed teaching as lecturer in Architecture and teacher of Building Construction at the Sydney Technical College. His brother Owen BLACKET had been lecturer in Mechanical Engineering since 1888. After briefly being insolvent in 1896, Cyril resumed practice, including as Diocesan Architect in Sydney. After retiring c1925, he recorded his reminiscences as a Sydney Architect in 1932 and his experience with using Australian timbers in 1935. He died at Manly, Sydney in 1937. His son, Pendrill Cyril Blacket (1885–1958), was also an architect.

Employment

-1877
Writing clerk, ET Blacket
1880-
Lecturer, Sydney Technological College
1884-
Succeeded John Kirkpatrick as Head of Department, Sydney Technical College; retired ill.
Lecturer in Architecture, University of Sydney, retired ill 1885
1894-
Lecturer, Architecture and Building Construction, Sydney Technical College

Education

-1872
Eglinton House School, Glebe
1872-
Articled pupil, ET BLACKET
1879-
Britain to study Architecture
Qualifications / Membership:
-1880
ARIBA
-1884-
Vice-President, IANSW
1904-
President, IANSW - 1906

Migration and Travel

1879
To Britain from NSW
1880
9 May 1880: Arr Sydney from San Francisco, passenger on “Australia”

Portraits

Family portrait; Huskisson Heritage Association Inc.

Residential Addresses

1890
Tasman Park, St George’s Basin, Jervis Bay

Genealogy

[F] Edmund Thomas BLACKET (1817–1883) b. 25 Aug 1817, Southwark, Surrey, Eng; d. 9 Feb 1883, Petersham, Sydney NSW.

[S / M] Sarah Mease (1818–1869) b. 25 July 1818, Stokesley, Yorkshire, Eng; d. 15 Sep 1869, Glebe Point, NSW.

  • [8C/B1-4] Arthur BLACKET (1848–1929) b.19 Feb 1848, Sydney NSW; d.4 Aug 1929, Manly, NSW.
  • [8C/B2-4] Owen BLACKET (1851–1931) b.20 Dec 1851, South Head Road, Sydney; d.25 May 1931, Marrickville, NSW
  • [8C/B3-4]Cyril BLACKET(1857–1937) b. 26 Oct 1857, Glebe, NSW; d.26 Feb 1937, Manly NSW
  • [S1, 1881, Sydney] Christian Jessie HOME (1861–1911) b.29 Sep 1861, Bathurst, NSW; d.10 Sep 1911, “Coila”, Greenwich Rd, Greenwich, NSW.
  • [4C/B1-3] Pendrill Cyril BLACKET (1885–1958) b. 21 June 1885, Liverpool, NSW; d. 7 July 1958, Bowral, NSW [architect, Bowral -1943- ]
  • [4C/B2-3] Ralph Christian BLACKET (1887–1960) b.29 Apr 1887, Shoalhaven, NSW d. 6 Aug 1960, Manly, NSW [surveyor’s assistant, Narrabeen, -1930- ]
  • [4C/B3-3] Stirling Fritz BLACKET (1895–1993) b.13 Sep 1895, Tomerong NSW; d.1993, Australia [grazier, Tamanick Downs, Mitchell, Qld, -1960- ]
  • [S2, 1913, Woollahra. NSW; divorce 1916, Sydney) Ida Grayston (1860–1920)
  • [S3, 1922, Sydney] Florence Kelsey

Other Activities

1884 “Architects’ Estimates”, Letter to Ed, Daily Telegraph (Syd), 23 Aug 1884, 4)

1889 Letter to Ed, Shoalhaven Telegraph, 24 July 1889, 2) re Hand-in-Hand Building Society.

1891 “Competitive Farm-house designs”, Letter to Ed., Shoalhaven Telegraph, 31 Jan 1891, 2.

1893 Letter to Ed, Institute of Architects, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 Mar 1893, 8

1896 Insolvent

-1896- Diocesan Building Surveyor and Architect

1904 Mayor, Lane Cove, Sydney

1935 Letter to Ed: St Andrew’s Cathedral: Sydney Morning Herald, 7 Mar 1935 8)

References

Public Service Lists, NSW: Technical Education Branch, Dept of Public Instruction, entry for Cyril Blacket, Cyclopedia of NSW (1907) 415-16; Evening Telegraph (Charters Towers)’ 12 Jan 1904, 2; Cyril Blacket, “Reminiscences of a Sydney Architect”, Building, 12 Feb 1932, 25-29; C&REJ (Syd): 17 July 1935, 15 and 10 Mar 1937, 15; C&REJ, 16 Dec 1931, 3; “History of the Sydney Technical College: Architecture School”, Construction, 12 June 1946, 2).

Publications

1881 (Evening News (Syd) 9 Apr 1881, 5)

Series of lectures on Architecture and Building Construction, School of Arts, Sydney.

13 Apr 1881: “Ancient Architecture”

28 Apr 1881: “Architecture from the Roman period up to the Early Gothic.”

1881- Architectural drawing class, Working Men’s College, Mechanics’ School of Arts, Sydney

Report (SMH, 29 Apr 1881, 5)

1906 Specification for an Ideal Institute, retiring address as President, IANSW

1935 Cyril Blacket, Australian Timbers: Some Experiences by Cyril Blacket, C&REJ (Syd), 17 July 1935, 15)

Archives

Many plans of the practice were dispersed to clients when he retired c1925. Among those which were not was St Andrew’s Cathedral which were lost when a bushfire destroyed “Tasman Park”, 1926.