Blacket, Edmund Thomas

Edmund Thomas Blacket was born at Southwark in Surrey, England, on 25 August 1817, the son of James Blacket, a draper and merchant, and his wife Margaret.

After leaving Mill Hill Congregational College Edmund reluctantly entered his father's business, but some three years later he left and went to work in his brother's linen mill in Yorkshire. Following this he went to work as a surveyor for the Stockton and Darlington Railway Company where he gained valuable experience in building and engineering practices. It was during this period of his life that Blacket met Sarah Mease, whom he was to marry on 21 May 1842. Soon after their wedding Edmund and Sarah sailed from Gravesend on the Eden, reaching Sydney on 3 November 1842, after a voyage of twenty weeks, most of which Edmund spent seasick. Blacket carried letters of introduction to some prominent figures in the Colony, among them Charles Nicholson and Bishop Broughton, and he was soon appointed valuator to Bourke ward in Sydney and Inspector of teaching and building in Anglican Schools.

By 1849 Blacket had established a small architectural practice and had also been appointed Diocesan Architect. During this period he had been responsible for the following projects: Christ Church, Geelong (1847); the parsonage at Richmond (1848); additions to Tooths brewery; St Mary's Balmain; Christ Church St Laurence (1843); the redesign of St Andrew's Cathedral (1847); Bathurst Cathedral (1849); St Marks' Darling Point (1848); St Philip 's Church Hill (1848); and St Paul's, Redfern (1848); as well as a number of small country churches, including those at Carcoar (1845), Greendale (1845), Berrima (1849), Wollombi (1849), and Picton (1850).

With some of these works still on his books, and with a burgeoning reputation, Blacket decided to make a career change, successfully applying for the post of Colonial Architect as successor to Mortimer Lewis. In support of his application Blacket was able to show testimonials from Charles Nicholson, Robert Tooth, Thomas Whistler Smith and John Campbell. Blacket was responsible for very few works of any distinction during this period, the most notable being the abbatoirs on Glebe Island, the Water Police Court at Circular Quay, and a lighthouse on Gabo Island.

Blacket retained his private practice but too much of his attention was spent on the trivial repair and maintenance matters that were part of the Colonial Architect's duties to allow him much time for designing new works. Nevertheless, he must have been able to spend time with the Sydney University Building Committee, since the University Senate offered him the position of Architect to the University in early 1854, on the proviso that he resigned from his Government office. Blacket duly did so and ceased duties as Colonial Architect on 19 August 1854. His great works at Sydney University, for which he will always be remembered, are the Great Hall, the main buildings of the quadrangle, and St Pauls College. These monumental works were more or less completed by 1856 and Blacket resumed his private architectural work. From then on his practice and reputation continued to grow. In the period between the completion of the work at Sydney University and his death Blacket was responsible for most of the ecclesiastical buildings constructed in New South Wales, as well a number of private dwellings and commercial buildings. Among these were: rectories at Bega (1856) and Darling Point (1858); the Bank of Australia in George Street, Sydney (1857); St Mary's, West Maitland (1864); Randwick Hospital (1865); Retford Hall, Darling Point (1865); Mort's Wool Store (1866); St John's, Glebe (1868); the Exchange Building, Sydney (c. 1871); St Paul's, Burwood (1871); St Stephen's, Newtown (1874); St Jude's, Bowral (1874); All Saint's, Woollahra (1874); St Saviour's, Goulburn (1874); St George's Cathedral, Perth (1878); St Thomas', North Sydney (1881); St Stephen's, Willoughby (1882); and St Peter's, East Maitland (1882).

In between this ecclesiastical work Blacket found time to build a number of other bank premises and a not inconsiderable number of private homes, plus sundry other projects, such as Church Schools in Goulburn. Blacket's wife, Sarah, died on 15 September 1869 aged only 51, and he was left with four sons and four daughters, the youngest two of whom were still under 13 years of age. The children were: Edith, Alice, Arthur, Marion, Owen, Hilda, Cyril, and Horace. In 1880 the architectural firm of which Edmund was the sole principal became a family dynasty and changed its name to Blacket & Son, when Cyril, having returned from England with a degree in architecture, was invited by his father to join the firm.

Edmund died on 9 February 1883, aged 65, and his funeral was held the following day, a Saturday. Edmund was buried in the same grave as Sarah in Elswick Cemetery, Balmain.