XXIV. NORMAN SELPE. 



known in New South Wales owing to his liberal endowment of the 

 Engineering School at the University of Sydney — Mr. Peter Nicol 

 Russell. During Mr. Russell's career an era of greater specialism 

 dawned upon the young State, but in Blanch's time an engineer 

 had to play many parts, all of which he (Blanch) was evidently 

 quite willing to undertake, for we read in his advertisement that 

 he could accommodate his friends with best double tin work ; make 

 handsome dish-covers, equal to any made in London ; brass, iron, 

 and foundry work, as usual; and, oh! what a fall for a finish — 

 "umbrellas and parasols neatly repaired." 



In 1833 Mr. Richard Dawson established the Australian 

 Foundry at 622 Lower George-street, and it appears to have been 

 the first important iron foundry in Australia, for in the forties 

 he was able to produce single castings up to four tons weight. In 

 1837 he made, on the premises, a high pressure steam engine of 

 eight horse power, which was used to drive the machinery of the 

 establishment and was considered by Sydney people at the time a 

 marvel of mechanism \ and ran smoothly for more than twenty 

 years afterwards. Dawson in many branches was the pioneer 

 machinist of Australia. The arrangement of his blacksmith's 

 shop made a considerable impression on visitors forty-five years 

 ago. The Governor of the day and the leading people in the colony 

 often visited Dawson's works, and his advice and services were 

 in demand by mill owners, masters of ships, and squatters 

 using wool presses, etc. Mr. Dawson was a prominent parish- 

 ioner at old St. Philip's church. His business was carried on 

 after his death until it was purchased and wound up by the late 

 Mr. T. S. Mort. When the Kerosene Works on the Botany road 

 were being erected by the author thirty years ago, the large 

 cast-iron gothic head to the main chimney shaft was designed 

 by him, and was one of the last works executed at Dawson's 

 establishment. 



Since the foregoing remarks were penned, the Engineer for the 

 4th of last month (May 1900) has reached Sydney. It contains 

 a very full account of the port" He coffer-dam which was made by 



