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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 11 (March 1, 1928)

A Noteworthy Career

page 36

A Noteworthy Career.

An ex-railwayman who has seen much of the development of the railways in New Zealand and who played a long and honourable part in that work is Mr. James Burnett, O.B.E., of Kelburn, Wellington, for some years Chief Engineer of the New Zealand Railways.

Mr. Burnett retired on superannuation in 1915, after 43 years of service.

In the course of a recent interview Mr. Burnett gave some interesting details of his career and touched upon a number of historical incidents associated with the engineering side of railroading in New Zealand.

Joining the Public Works Department at the age of seventeen in July, 1872, under Mr. J. Rochfort, he was soon afterwards sent out with a surveying party to explore the Rimutakas with the object of finding the most suitable route for a railway. The country was covered with dense bush, the weather was bad, it was all foot travelling and each man had to carry his own swag. They had a rough time generally, had to do their own cooking and, except for an occasional weka (native wood-hen) and eels, had to live on bacon and biscuits for three months.

The party comprised, at different times, Messrs. Wink (in charge) and Engineering Cadets George Blackett, G. and E. Park and Witherby.

Mr. Burnett remembers how pleased they all were when the site of the present summit tunnel was discovered. The exploration occupied some 18 months to 2 years.

At that time Messrs. Brogden and Son had contracts all over New Zealand for the construction of various sections of the Government lines. These included the Waikato line to Mercer, the Dunedin to Balclutha, and the Wellington-Hutt sections. These contractors did things in the grand manner, importing their own engines and generally adopting the best known methods then available for successfully carrying on large-scale engineering enterprises. Among their engineers was Charles Napier Bell (who afterwards became a leading authority upon harbours).

Young Burnett was put to work with Mr. Bell doing long multiplication and division sums, and he recalls how, as the result of an error in one calculation, Mr. Bell laid it down as his unalterable conviction that “the man who makes mistakes is not worth a damn!”

In 1874 Mr. Burnett was sent south to take part in construction work on the Waitaki-Moeraki railway—including the Waitak' bridge. This bridge was imported from India, the cylinders and girders having been built in England for one of the rivers of India and thence diverted to meet New Zealand's more pressing need.

This work was done under Mr. J. H. Lowe, who afterwards became the first” Chief Engineer of Working Railways” in New Zealand.

Mr. Burnett joined the Working Railways Department in 1877 as Assistant Engineer at Oamaru, his first individual responsibility being accepted when he was placed in charge of the line construction from Moeraki to near Waikouaiti, Mr. W. M. Hannay at that time being District Manager at Oamaru, with Mr. H. Buxton as his Chief Clerk. (The “Oamaru” Section of those days extended from Temuka to Palmerston South.)

The following year Mr. Burnett's headquarters were changed to Christchurch, where he remained during the next nineteen years. In 1899 he was transferred to Wellington.

Being appointed Inspecting Engineer under Mr. John Coom, and when the latter retired in 1908, Mr. Burnett became Chief Engineer, a position he continued to fill with distinction until his retirement, after 43 years of service, in 1915.

One of the works upon which he was engaged was the building of a branch railway to Moeraki which, it was expected at that time, was destined to become a great port. The line had to be laid partly over sea beaches where the pressure of the slipping ground alongside heaved up the trestle viaducts. Difficulty was experienced in keeping the railway in position. All had to be abandoned afterwards, as Moeraki did not live up to expectations and the line was not needed.

It was under Mr. Burnett that the Dunedin Station was built, Mr. G. A. Troup (now Mayor of Wellington) being the architect. The design was copied from that of a baronial castle in Scotland, and, as Mr. Burnett remarked “ample for the purpose.” He has noted the northward drift of New Zealand's population, and considers that natural for, he said, “the country will carry the population here, where the grass grows all the year round.”

Immediately Mr. Burnett retired from the Department he went straight Home to England, his son being at that time invalided there on account of war wounds. Arrived in England he launched out upon war work.

He was soon appointed to organ se and supervise he searching of the [gap — reason: illegible] hospitals of page 37 Middlesex for tidings of missing men. The War Office issued printed lists of the missing, arranged according to Regiment, Battalion, and Company, and comprising thousands of names. Visitors, called “Searchers,” paid frequent visits to the hospitals and questioned patients in the same units as the missing men. By this means a large number of cases were finally traced. Great difficulty was found in getting people to do this searching.

The certificate reproduced in this issue was presented to Mr. Burnett in recognition of the valuable services he rendered whilst upon hospital work in Middlesex. Mr. Burnett remarked that, when he joined the Soldiers' Club in London, he and his wife intended to stay twelve months. They actually spent four years there and, he remarked, “I hope we did our job. Anyway, we tried to!”

His wife, Mrs. Burnett, put in much service at the N.Z. War Contingent Association Rooms in Southampton Row and at the N.Z. Soldiers' Club where his daughter, Miss Burnett, controlled and managed the night and day canteen for some 2½ years and was decorated C.B.E. for her services.

On returning to New Zealand, Mr. Burnett devoted his spare time to visiting invalided soldiers and met many men who had been with him at Russell Square in London.

Subsequently, he was appointed Chairman of the Red Cross, Wellington Centre, a position which he has held for some three or four years, and hopes to be fit to carry on for some time longer.

This “grand old man of the railways” is still hale and hearty and devotes a great portion of his time to good works, helping the sick and needy. His cheerful presence and fund of reminiscence make his presence welcome in any society.

A Much Valued Recognition.

A Much Valued Recognition.