Background
Black was born at Arndilly, Banffshire, Scotland.
Black was born at Arndilly, Banffshire, Scotland.
After training as a land surveyor in Aberdeen and working locally, he migrated to Victoria in 1852. He worked in the Castlemaine goldfields then returned to Melbourne and joined the Victorian government survey office. His work included the survey of the Black-Allan Lincolnshire—the eastern "straight-edge" portion of the border between the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria.
Black was appointed Surveyor General of Victoria on 1 July 1886 and held the position until his retirement in May 1892.
He died in Street Kilda, Victoria on 13 March 1897.
He was elected a member of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors in 1877 and was president 1879 to 1880.