[4]: 25  By the end of 1834 he'd worked through producing survey memoirs for many county Antrim, Down and Armagh parishes—Glenavy, Aghaderg, Annaclone, Clonallan, Donacloney, Donaghmore, Dromara, Dromore, Drumballyroney, Drumgath, Garvaghy, Magherally, Magheralin, Newry, Seapatrick, Shankill, Tullylish, Warrenpoint, Ballymore, Drumcree, Kilmore, Montiaghs, Seagoe—[15][16] and with Lieutenant Henry Tucker, RE, took charge of the operations in County Louth from about 1834.

[17] Then, as Captain Robert Kearsley Dawson, RE, moved on to England in connection with the Reform Commission in 1835, Bennett took over his hill drawing role, superintending the hill-sketchers.

[18] On Sunday, 1 April 1838, Bennett gave 4th Division over to Lieutenant St George Lyster, RE, and took charge of the Hill-Drawing Department, Statistics and Antiquities; a change of scene that he hoped would restore his health after the pressures of divisional work.

Colby revealed his scheme for heights of hills or elevation by a series of contours at 50 ft each having a darker shade near the hilltop, which Larcom thought noble but impractical.

A French engraver's example with houses, woods and other features worked into the shade with good effect was also shown, but trees were not distinct and Bennett disliked it.

[19] Colby reported to the Inspector General of Fortifications, 6 May 1840: In the Cadastral Map of Ireland the altitudes marked are extremely numerous, and afford great assistance to the sketchers; still this information alone does not enable them to perfect sketches for definite use.

Captain Larcom suggested running contour lines instrumentally at certain distances, as affording accurate data to regulate the detorication of hills.

[19][21]: 61  In mid-April, Bennett set the department's senior civil assistant, Charles Whybrow Ligar,[22]: 154  to making a scale model from card in 50 ft contour heights which, quickly done, worked well.

Whilst Bennett was at Woolwich, England, in early 1841, the Master General of the Ordnance appointed him to assume command of the engineer department in New Zealand.

[26][5]: 94 Soon after his arrival in Auckland on 21 February, Governor William Hobson granted Ordnance an elevated Lot 1, Section 8, in front of Fort Britomart for the wooden Royal Engineer office-residence he'd shipped with him.

Levelled by a strong gale during its construction on 18 March, Bennett rebuilt it in local brick, positioned with a picturesque view of the Waitematā Harbour.

[5]: 94  Though Lugard had completed the front portion of Fort Britomart's barrack building in September 1841, the rear section had by 28 February 1842 only been built to the loopholes on one side when he returned to Sydney.

[27] On 5 September 1842 the Institute elected the Commanding Royal Engineer, George Bennett, as their president, along with his former senior civil assistant in Ireland and newly appointed Surveyor General, Charles Whybrow Ligar, as vice-president.

[30] By 1843 they could provide members with a selection of works by approved authors, and their president hoped the ongoing debates "will be instructive and engender a well directed taste for reading.

"[3]: 59–62 Bennett had equipped the expedition for field operations, with tools and materials including some remaining from his house, and carried on the construction of barracks and other facilities at Hopukiore / Mt Drury, Maunganui, with the mechanics.

Bennett had purchased land about Auckland—suburban farms at Epsom and Mt Eden near Three Kings in 1842 and 1843, as well as a site for his new residence on the heights of Khyber Pass Road, Lot 7, Section 3, just over 5 acres, at the head of Grafton Gully / Glen Ligar in July 1843.

[11] In the area of today's Mount Saint John Avenue, Apihai Te Kawau's Auckland tribes had arranged, as presents for distribution to their visitors, a 500 yard long tent of blankets, in front of which was a wall of potatoes in kete (basket) and salted sharks for flavour.

Bennett commented: "These were all meant for presents to the Visitors & were distributed much to their satisfaction—The day after the distribution took place Auckland was visited by a succession of Maoris each with his share of potatoes on sale" [11] Following Hōne Heke's flagstaff felling in July 1844, Governor FitzRoy, Lieutenant Colonel William Hulme, 96th Regiment, Bennett and 15 soldiers, sailed for the Bay of Islands in the brig Victoria and HMS Hazard on 22 August, to amicably settle grievances.

The total force including Hazard's sailors and marines amounted to some 250 men, confident of being able to give Heke and followers a severe chastisement, even at his pā.

On 30 August, Hulme and Bennett agreed that it was "useless to repair or let it remain" and had all windows, iron fastenings, doors, hinges and locks removed.

Fitzroy, Hulme, Bennett, Lieutenant Barclay and Mr Hamilton arrived back in Auckland on the Government Brig Victoria on 6 September, with HMS Hazard and the troops.

"[49] Trouble had also been brewing at Port Nicholson and in late January the Robert FitzRoy intended sending Bennett there to examine the Hutt, in preparation for an expedition to occupy and build a fort.

Its components were brought ashore between 4:00–10:00 am on 17 February and carried up Flagstaff Hill by Hazard's crew, where it was erected by them over the next two days of squalls and fine weather.

The Legislative Council, meeting on Saturday, 15 March 1845, put their agenda aside to read the despatches from Kororāreka, and after discussion, passed the resolution: That the Barracks be immediately made impregnable against musketry attack, and sufficient as a place of refuge for the habitants of Auckland—and that the Male population of the Settlement be sworn in as special Constables and efficiently armed, and that such arrangements and precautions be made that such an armed force can be brought into active service at the shortest notice under experienced and efficient leaders.

[50]: 46  Bennett commenced preparing Fort Britomart to the Governor's instruction and the approved plan from 17 March, employing all available military and civilian labour.

Albert Barracks, as it came to be called, was proposed to be built on the high ground specially reserved for public purposes behind Government House, though for military use, title was required to be granted to the Board of Ordnance.

Bennett's proposal of enclosing the barracks, assuming that FitzRoy would agree that temporary field works were inadequate for keeping soldiers in, was for a loopholed defensible wall.

[5]: 98–99  Whilst FitzRoy dealt to military plans with Hulme, The Southern Cross, 12 April, reported: Much as has been done towards placing the barracks in a tenable state of defence, to the great credit of the Engineer department, we think that more is indispensable, anticipating an actual insurrection and attack from the Natives.

[61] The Auckland Battalion of Militia moved to construct Fort Ligar, an earth redoubt with surrounding ditch and a Martello gun tower at its centre, on the western ridge in mid April.

[5]: 105–106 Contour lines "united with light and shade for perfection and clarity" persist in new map technologies[66] The Auckland Mechanics' Institute carried on with technical classes, lectures and a fine arts and industrial exhibition in 1873[67] but foundered in the depression that decade.