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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Stewart, James

Stewart, James, M.Inst. C.E., Civil Engineer, Shortland Street, Auckland. Mr. Stewart was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1832, and was educated there. He was then articled to Mr. Peter D. Brown, M.Inst., C.E., of Perth, and remained with that gentleman as pupil and chief assistant for eight years. During that time he was engaged in general engineering work, such as waterworks, railways, roads and bridges, besides executing much mechanical engineering. In 1859 he sailed for New Zealand, by the ship “Joseph Fletcher,” and arrived at Auckland on the 17th of August of that year. Mr. Stewart immediately started practising as a civil engineer and surveyor, and competed for and gained a premium offered by the Provincial Government for a design for the Auckland waterworks. He then surveyed the Auckland and Drury railway, in conjunction with Mr. Samuel Harding. In 1862–3 he was appointed engineer to the Auckland City Board of Works. At the outbreak of the Waikato war in 1864 he received a command in the second-class militia, and is still enrolled as an officer of that corps. In September of that year he was despatched to Sydney by the Minister of Defence for the purpose of procuring two towing steamers of light draft for service on the Waikato river. After returning and doing special work at the Waikato, the Railway Commissioners of the Provincial
Mr. J. Stewart.

Mr. J. Stewart.

page 317 Government appointed him, in conjunction with Mr. Harding, engineer for the construction of the Auckland-Drury railway. This work was stopped in 1867 for want of funds, and was not resumed until 1872, when the Colonial Department of Public Works was established. Meantime Mr. Stewart was appointed by the Marine Department Inspector of Steamers and Examiner of Engineers at Auckland, He was at the same time also in private practice, and was engaged in designing the reconstruction of the boilers and machinery of various steamers, and devised the alterations in the engines of the s.s. “Stai of the South” to the compound principle, which was then in its infancy. The success of this installation and the consequent reduction of coal and increased carrying capacity had no small share in bringing about the universal adoption of the compound principle in the colonies. While in the marine department Mr. Stewart designed the lighthouse on the Bean Rocks opposite North Head, and also the lighthouse in the Ponui passage, half-way to the Thames. In 1872 he was appointed resident engineer of the Auckland and Mercer railway, and in May, 1874, the whole of the railway works in the Auckland provincial district were placed in his charge as district engineer. On the “roar” for retrenchment in 1881, he was retired from the department and re-entered private practice. Among the works then undertaken by him was the Thames Valley and Rotorua railway. He was engineer to the Te Aroha county tramways for the opening up the Waiorongomai mines, and was appointed consulting engineer to the Auckland city tramways. At that time Mr. Stewart was joined in partnership by Mr, Ashley Hunter, and the firm carried out these works. Mr. Stewart designed the new pumps for the Calliope Dock. In 1894 Mr. Hunter retired from the firm, and Mr. Stewart has carried on the business since that date, and has mainly devoted his attention to the electric traction of the Auckland city tramways, in connection with which he paid a visit to England in 1896, Mr. Stewart was married in Scotland, in 1859, and has a family of three surviving sons and four daughters.