Blackburn, James

views updated

Blackburn, James (1803–54). English-born Australian architect. Transported to Van Diemen's land in 1835 for forging a cheque, he was employed by the Department of Roads and Bridges, and directed much of the road-building and engineering works there. From 1839 he designed numerous buildings, and, influenced by the writings of Loudon, he was a major protagonist of the Picturesque, notably in the Rosedale extension of Campbell Town (1848–50), where a Loudonesque Italianate style was much in evidence. His Greek Revival Lady Franklin Museum (1842–3), Hobart, was a distinguished essay in Doric, but he could turn his hand to Gothic Revival (influenced by the works of J. L. Archer), and to Norman Revival (influenced by Ferrey and others). He moved to Melbourne in 1849, where he became City Surveyor, in which capacity he designed the Town Hall. His large and eclectic library was one of the first major architectural collections to be formed in Australia.

Bibliography

Kobayashi et al . (1996);
Tanner (ed.) (1981);
Jane Turner (1996).