A RAILWAY FAMILY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 49, 27 February 1945, Page 6

A RAILWAY FAMILY

MR. C. L BLACKBURN RETIRES

A railwayman in the third generation, Mr. Charles L. Blackburn, chief clerk, administrative division, head office, New Zealand Railways, retired last week on superannuation after 40 years' service. His father was an officer of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company and later of the N.Z. Railways, and his., grandfather was first stationmaster at Templeton when the Christchurch-Rolleston section of the South Island Main Trunk railway was opened in 1866. Mr. Blackburn started with the Manawatu Company in 1905, and when it was taken over by the Government in 1908, was placed in the district office, Wellington. He was one of the very small number of employees of the old company still in the service of the Government railways.

He was transferred to the Wellington goods office in 1921 and subsequently served as stationmaster, Halcombe, and clerk in the district traffic manager's office, Ohakune, before returning to Wellington in 1925 as clerk, head office, where he remained until the date of his retirement. During his 20 years' continuous service at the head office Mr. Blackburn held positions as divisional clerk, personal clerk to the General Manager, and, from 1936 onwards, chief clerk, administrative division, head office. On the eve of his retirement Mr. Blackburn was entertained by the head office executive and staff, on whose behalf a presentation was made by the General Manager, Mr. J. Sawers.