Queensland Architects Database

Blacket, Edmund Thomas

BLACKET, Edmund Thomas(1817–1883), a well-known Sydney architect, was born in Southwark, England, fifth son of James Blacket, a cloth merchant, and Margaret Harriet Ralph. After working for three years in his father’s business and his brother’s linen mill in Yorkshire, Blacket in 1837 joined the Stockton and Darlington Railway Co., working as a draftsman and surveyor, while spending his spare time sketching and recording medieval buildings. Blacket married Sarah Mease in Wakefield on 27 April 1842 shortly before migrating to the colonies, intending to go to New Zealand but staying instead in Sydney. Soon after his arrival, in January 1843 he was appointed Inspector of Schools for the Church of England, a position which also entailed designing schools, churches and parsonages. Blacket began private practice as an architect and surveyor in Sydney in May 1843. His commissions included buildings for the northern part of the colony (Queensland) including churches of England for Brisbane and Ipswich and possibly the first Cumbooquepa, for his cousin, TB Stephens. In December 1849 Blacket became Colonial Architect of New South Wales while continuing his Anglican appointment. His few government buildings for the north were modest, except for the Cape Moreton Lighthouse designed just before his resignation in 1854 to undertake the University of Sydney. In 1880 his third son Cyril BLACKET joined the firm, which then became known as BLACKET & SON. Blacket died in Petersham, Sydney, on 9 February 1883. Blacket’s eldest son was also an architect. His second son, Owen Blacket (1851–1931), was a mechanical engineer who like Cyril was an advocate of technical education and taught at the Sydney Technical College, but in mechanical engineering.

Employment

c1834-
James Blacket, cloth merchant; and linen mill, Yorkshire
1837-
Draftsman and surveyor, Stockton and Darlington Railway Co
1843-
Valuator, Bourke Ward, Sydney
1843-
Inspector of Schools, Church of England, NSW, on-going
1849-
Colonial Architect, NSW, resigned 1854
1854
Architect, University of Sydney, NSW

Education

1837-
Draftsman and surveyor, Stockton and Darlington Railway Co

Migration and Travel

1842
To Sydney, NSW

Portraits

State Library of NSW
Dictionary of Sydney
As a young man; in later years: Southern Mail (Bowral), 20 May 1945, 10
State Library of NSW
Dictionary of Sydney
Family portraits, Ancestry
Training and memberships

Genealogy

[PGF] John Blackett (1747–1795) b. 31 May 1747, Hamsterley, Durham, Eng; d. Oct 1795, Hamsterley, Durham, Eng

[PGM] Abigail Luccock (1750–1804) b. 1750, Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, Eng; d. 4 Mar 1804, Hamsterley Durham

[9C/3-3B / F] James Blacket (1783–1858) b. 1 Jan 1783, Southwark, London, Eng; d. 29 Nov 1858, Brixton Hill, London

  • [S, / M] Margaret Harriot Ralph (1783–1859) b. 10 Feb 1783, Maidstone, Kent, Eng; d. 24 Dec 1859, Brixton, Surrey, Eng.
  • [11C/1-7B] John Blacket (1807–1881) b. 13 Dec 1807, St Saviour Southwark Surry, London, Eng; d. 4 Feb 1881, Balline House, Kilkenny, Ireland [5 May 1823: Articled pupil of William Brodrick, solicitor, 5 years]
  • [S / M] Elizabeth Stephens (1809–1887) b. 1 Mar 1809, Shoreditch, London; d. 15 Dec 1887, Ballyne, County Kilkenny, Ireland
  • [1-3B] John Stephens Blackett (1833–1922) b.16 Apr 1833, Stokesley, Yorkshire, Eng; d. 26 Jan 1922 Perthshire, Perth, Scotland
  • [11C/2-7B] James Blacket (1808–1877) b. 21 Dec 1808, St Saviour Southwark Surry, Eng; d. 19 May 1877, Berkshire, Hampshire.
  • [11C/3-7B] Edward Blacket (1810–1814) b. 15 July 1810 • St Saviour Southwark, Surry, Eng; d. Dec 1814, Southwark, London, Eng.
  • [11C/5-7B]Edmund Thomas BLACKET(1817–1883) b. 25 Aug 1817, St Saviour Southwark, Surrey, Eng; d. 9 Feb 1883, Petersham, Sydney, NSW
  • [S] Sarah Mease (1818–1869) b. 25 July 1818, Stokesley, Yorkshire, Eng; d. 15 Sep 1869, Glebe Point, NSW
  • [8C/1-4G] Edith Blacket (1844–1928) b.19 Apr 1844, Glebe, NSW; d. 20 Jan 1928,’Calooberi’ Freeman’s Reach, NSW
  • [8C/2-4G] Alice Blacket (1846–1934) b. 17 Apr 1846, Sydney. NSW; d. 18 Aug 1934, North Sydney, NSW.
  • [8C/1-4B] Arthur BLACKET (1848–1929) b.19 Feb 1848, Sydney NSW; d. 4 Aug 1929, Manly, NSW
  • [8C/3-4G] Marian Blacket (1850–1901) b. 13 Jan 1850, Sydney, NSW; d. 2 Mar 1901, Petersham, Sydney, NSW
  • [8C/2-4B] Owen BLACKET (1851–1931) b. 20 Dec 1851, South Head Rd, Sydney; d. 25 May 1931, Marrickville, NSW
  • [8C/4-4G] Hilda Blacket (1854–1918) b. 14 June 1854, Glebe. NSW; d. 20 Dec 1918, Chatswood. NSW
  • [8C/3-4B] Cyril BLACKET (1857–1937) b. 26 Oct 1857, Glebe, NSW; d. 26 Feb 1937, Manly NSW
  • [8C/4-4B] Horace Blacket (1860–1922) b. 5 Nov 1860, Glebe, NSW; d. 4 Nov 1922, Goulburn, NSW

[9C/5-6G] Elizabeth BLACKET (1787–1876) b.4 July 1787, London, Middlesex, Eng; d.5 Apr 1876 • Ballyne House, County Kilkenny, Ireland

  • [S] William STEPHENS (1765–1839) b. 25 Oct 1765, London, Eng; d. 16 Sep 1839, Rochdale, Manchester, Eng
  • [10C/2-4B] Thomas Blacket STEPHENS (1819–1877) b. 5 Jan 1819, Castelon, Rochdale, Lancashire, Eng; d. 26 Aug 1877, Dutton Park, Qld

References

Joan Kerr and James Broadbent (1980), Gothick Taste in the Colony of New South Wales; Joan Kerr (1983), Our Great Victorian Architect Edmund Thomas Blacket, exhibition catalogue, National Trust of Australia; Peter Reynolds, The evolution of the Government Architect’s Branch of the NSW Department of Public Works, thesis, University of NSW, 1972; HG Woffenden, entry for ET Blacket, ADB; Hector Abrahams, entry for ET Blacket, in Encyclopaedia of Australian Architecture (2012) 87-89; Moreton Bay Courier, 24 Jun 1848, 2; Colonial Architect’s correspondence, 2/638A, 2/8160, AANSW; Queensland, 21 Sep 1867, 6; Cyril Blacket, “How Architect Edmund T Blacket studied architecture”, Building, 12 July 1934, 115-1; obituary, ABCN, 13 Oct 1888, 327-28; AVJ Parry, “Holy Trinity, Berrima: I and II” Southern Mail (Bowral), 20 May 1945, 10.

Publications

1849 Round Towers of Ireland, Mechanics School of Arts, Sydney