Edwin Blake (1830 – 18 March 1914) was a 19th-century

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

Member of Parliament in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, New Zealand.

Early life

Blake was born in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, England. He and his brother Walter were both educated at

Wimborne Wimborne Minster (often referred to as Wimborne, ) is a market town in Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town. It lies at the confluence of the River Stour and the River Allen, north of Pool ...

and then

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. Edwin Blake was a civil engineer and surveyor. In England, he worked on railway projects.

New Zealand

Edwin Blake came to Otago in 1861 and moved to

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

in 1863. The

West Coast gold rush The West Coast gold rush, on the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, lasted from 1864 to 1867. Description The gold rush populated the area, which up until then had been visited by few Europeans. Gold was found ...

necessitated overland connections between Christchurch and the West Coast. Early in 1865, the Blake brothers had a contract with the Canterbury Provincial Council to improve the track over Harper Pass, the high pass connecting the Hurunui and Taramakau Rivers. This contract was completed by April of that year, and Walter Blake was then put in charge of sections of the dray road built over

Arthur's Pass Arthur's Pass, previously called Camping Flat then Bealey Flats, and for some time officially Arthurs Pass, is a township in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, located in the Selwyn district. It is a popular base for explori ...

, but the contract was soon assigned to Edwin Blake. One of the sections was adjacent to

Lake Brunner Lake Brunner ( or ) is the largest lake in the West Coast Region of New Zealand, located southeast of Greymouth. The main settlement, Moana, New Zealand, Moana, is on its northern shore. It is an important settlement and waystation for local M ...

, at the time still part of the route to the West Coast. This was soon superseded by a more direct route built by Walter Blake that followed the Taramakau River. Edwin Blake was then commissioned to widen the track through the Otira Valley down to the Taipo River. When the road construction projects were completed, Blake settled on the West Coast. In the , Blake contested the electorate, but was beaten by 700 to 624 votes by Richard Seddon. He moved back to Christchurch in 1882, but contested the Kumara electorate once again in the ; the incumbent Seddon again won the contest. Blake represented the Avon electorate from the 1887 Avon by-election to , when he was defeated standing in the electorate. He died on 18 March 1914 and was buried at Linwood Cemetery. Blakes Road in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

is named for him and his younger brother John William.

Notes

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Edwin 1830 births 1914 deaths People educated at Eton College Burials at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch British emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand Liberal Party MPs New Zealand MPs for Christchurch electorates Independent MPs of New Zealand Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Unsuccessful candidates in the 1881 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1884 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1893 New Zealand general election 19th-century New Zealand politicians