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{{Short description|Irish engineer in New Zealand and Western Australia (1843–1902)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Charles Yelverton O'Connor
| image              = C Y O'Connor.jpg
| caption            = C. Y. O'Connor, 1891
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1843|1|11|df=y}}
| birth_place        = Gravelmount House, Castletown, [[County Meath]], Ireland
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=yes|1902|3|10|1843|1|11}}
| death_place        = Robb Jetty, [[South Fremantle, Western Australia]]
| occupation         = Engineer
| spouse             = Susan Laetitia Ness (m.1873–1902; his death)
| children           = 8, including [[Kathleen O'Connor (painter)|Laetitia Kathleen]] and [[Bridget Yelverton Lee Steere|Bridget Yelverton]]
}}

'''Charles Yelverton O'Connor''', {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|CMG}} (11 January 1843 – 10 March 1902), was an [[Ireland|Irish]] [[engineer]] who is best known for his work in [[Western Australia]], especially the construction of [[Fremantle Harbour]],<ref name="apps"/> thought to be impossible, and the [[Goldfields Water Supply Scheme]].

==Early life==
O'Connor was born in Gravelmount House,<ref>{{cite web |title=Navan Historical Society - O'Connor, C. Y. (Engineer) |url=http://www.navanhistory.ie/index.php?page=engineers |website=www.navanhistory.ie |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> a small [[country house]] in [[Castletown Kilpatrick]], a parish located between [[Kells, County Meath|Kells]] and [[Ardee]] in the north of [[County Meath]] in [[Ireland]]. He was the third and youngest son and fourth child of John O'Connor, a farmer and company secretary, and his wife Mary Elizabeth, ''née'' O'Keefe.<ref name="ADB">{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=oconnor-charles-yelverton-7874|title=Charles Yelverton O'Connor (1843–1902)|year=1988|pages=51–54|author=Tauman, Merab Harris |volume=11|accessdate=15 August 2025}}</ref> O'Connor was home-schooled by his aunt before being educated at Waterford Endowed School (also
known as Bishop Foy's School). In 1859 he was apprenticed to [[John Chaloner Smith]] as a railway engineer.<ref>Evans, 2001 p.39</ref> At the age of 21 he emigrated to New Zealand, and on 6 September 1866 was appointed assistant engineer for [[Canterbury Province]] under [[Edward Dobson]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Peter Woodley|title=A glimpse of one of the giants who built our nation Charles Yelverton O'Connor 11/1/1843…10/3/1902|url=http://www.alor.org/Heritage/Charles%20Yelverton%20O'Connor.htm|accessdate=24 April 2017|work=Heritage Quarterly Magazine|publisher=Australian League of Rights|location=Melbourne|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720190718/http://www.alor.org/Heritage/Charles%20Yelverton%20O'Connor.htm|archive-date=20 July 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Evans 2001:53</ref><ref name="DNZB O'Connor">{{DNZB|last=Pollard|first=John|id=2o1|title=O'Connor, Charles Yelverton – Biography|accessdate=21 January 2012}}</ref>

His first task was the construction of the [[Otira]] Gorge section of the road over [[Arthur's Pass (mountain pass)|Arthur's Pass]], so that the [[West Coast gold rush|gold fields]] on the [[West Coast, New Zealand|West Coast]] became easier to access.<ref name="DNZB O'Connor" /> After holding other positions, O'Connor became inspecting engineer for the mid-[[South Island]]. In 1873 he married Scottish-born Susan Laetitia Ness, and they had eight children, four girls (including Girl Guiding commissioner [[Bridget Yelverton Lee Steere]] and painter [[Kathleen O'Connor (painter)|Kathleen O'Connor]]) and four boys while in New Zealand (their fifth child, Charles Goring Yelverton O'Connor, died aged 7 months in a home accident). In 1883 O'Connor was appointed Under-Secretary of Public Works in New Zealand, and in 1890 he was appointed Marine Engineer for the [[self-governing colony|colony]].

By 1891, O'Connor had much experience in harbour and dock construction when he resigned his position in April that year to become Engineer-in-Chief of [[Western Australia]]. His wife and children relocated with him to Australia. There he was responsible for the construction of [[Fremantle Harbour]] and the [[Goldfields Water Supply Scheme]] project, which supplied water to the [[Goldfields-Esperance|Eastern Goldfields]]. He was the inaugural Engineer in Chief of the [[Public Works Department (Western Australia)|Public Works Department]].

==Fremantle Harbour==
[[Image:Aerial view of Fremantle.JPG|thumbnail|right|250px|Aerial view of [[Fremantle Harbour]]]]
The construction of [[Fremantle Harbour]]<ref name="apps">[http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.map-db104-e Western Australia. Public Works Dept. Fremantle Harbour works plan] National Library of Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2006.</ref> was probably O'Connor's greatest personal triumph, as his proposal to build the harbour within the entrance to the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|Swan River]] was contrary to previous expert advice that this was impracticable and that the construction would require constant dredging. Work commenced in 1892 in removing a [[limestone]] bar and sand [[shoal]]s at the mouth of the Swan River and was successfully completed in 1903. On 4 May 1897 the first ocean-going steamer, the ''Sultan'', berthed at South Quay (renamed Victoria Quay on 26 July 1901 in honour of the late [[Queen Victoria]]).<ref>{{cite news | title = The Departure | date = 25 July 1901 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82485368 | work = [[Daily News (Perth, Western Australia)|The Daily News]] | page = 3 | accessdate = 18 November 2013}}</ref> At age 54, O'Connor travelled to [[London]] to be inducted a Companion of the [[Order of St Michael and St George]].<ref>Evans 2001 p. 179</ref>

More than 100 years of continued use of Fremantle Harbour by heavy shipping has erased all doubt concerning O'Connor's technical judgement.

==Railways==
O'Connor was engineer-in-chief and acting general manager of railways in Western Australia. Upgrades of existing lines and plans for new lines were made. The search for water for the Northam-Southern Cross route was initiated by O'Connor. He was in charge of the railway.<ref name=ADB/>

==Goldfields Water Supply Scheme==
[[Image:Goldfields-Pipeline 2005.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|[[Goldfields Water Supply Scheme|Goldfields Pipeline]] along [[Great Eastern Highway]]]]
[[Image:Lake O'Connor SMC.jpg|250px|thumbnail|right|Lake O'Connor, [[Mundaring Weir]]]]
O'Connor is best known for his work on the [[Goldfields Water Supply Scheme]], also known as the ''Goldfields Pipeline''. The pipeline carries water {{convert|330|mi}} from [[Perth]] to [[Kalgoorlie]]. A succession of [[gold rush]]es at [[Southern Cross, Western Australia|Southern Cross]] in 1887, at [[Coolgardie, Western Australia|Coolgardie]] in 1892, and at Kalgoorlie in 1893 caused a population explosion in the barren and dry desert centre of Western Australia, exemplified by towns like [[Cunderdin, Western Australia|Cunderdin]] and [[Merredin, Western Australia|Merredin]]. On 16 July 1896, [[John Forrest]] introduced to [[Parliament of Western Australia|Western Australian Parliament]] a [[Bill (law)|bill]] to authorise the raising of a loan of £2.5 million to construct the scheme: the pipeline would pump {{convert|5|e6impgal|m3}} of water per day to the Goldfields from a [[dam]] on the [[Helena River]] near [[Mundaring Weir]] in Perth, pumped in eight successive stages through 330 miles of {{convert|30|in|mm|adj=mid|-diameter}} pipe to the Mount Charlotte Reservoir in Kalgoorlie. The water is then reticulated to various mining centres in the Goldfields.

The lake created by [[Mundaring Weir]] is now known as ''Lake O'Connor'', and still provides drinking water for the towns along the pipeline to Kalgoorlie.

==Death==
[[Image:CY O'Connor, Fremantle Cemetery.jpg|175px|thumb|The grave of C. Y. O'Connor, [[Fremantle Cemetery]]]]
O'Connor was subjected to prolonged criticism by members of the press and also many members of the [[Parliament of Western Australia|Western Australian Parliament]] over the scheme.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1224183.htm George Negus Tonight] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101034533/http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1224183.htm |date=1 November 2006 }} Transcript of broadcast 6:30 pm on 18 October 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2006.</ref> John Forrest, always a supporter, had left Western Australian politics to become federal defence minister. Defamatory attacks by the press had wounded O'Connor.<ref name="ADB" />

Evans describes how political machinations and individual greed led to many libellous newspaper articles about O'Connor towards the end of the pipeline project. One article in particular in ''The Sunday Times'', 9 February 1902,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32722146|title=CORRUPTION BY CONTRACT – CHUMMY GOUSTON AND O'CONNOR. THE PIPE TRACK SCANDAL. Toadies and Tricksters Who Should be Tried. – West Australian Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1897–1902) – 9 Feb 1902|newspaper=West Australian Sunday Times|date=9 February 1902 |access-date=2016-04-10}}</ref> by its editor, [[Thomas Walker (Australian politician)|Thomas Walker]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=theses_hons|title=A paper for the people : The Sunday Times 1897–1905|last=Byers|first=Karen|date=1993|website=ECU Honours Thesis|page=12,32}}</ref> continuing a campaign against O'Connor by Walker's deceased predecessor [[Frederick Vosper]], is thought to have contributed to his death. Accusing O'Connor of corruption, it read, in part:

{{cquote|... And apart from any distinct charge of corruption this man has exhibited such gross blundering or something worse, in his management of great public works it is no exaggeration to say that he has robbed the taxpayer of this state of many millions of money&nbsp;... This crocodile imposter has been backed up in all his reckless extravagant juggling with public funds, in all his nefarious machinations behind the scenes by the kindred-souled editor of ''[[The West Australian]]''. —(Evans&nbsp;2001:219)
}}

The government conducted an inquiry into the scheme and found no basis for the press accusations of corruption or misdemeanours on the part of O'Connor.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/Royal+Commission+Coolgardie+water+scheme+1902/$FILE/Coolgardie+Water+Scheme+b.pdf|title=Royal Commission into the Coolgardie water scheme|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|access-date=10 April 2016}}</ref> Thomas Walker claimed vindication as the Royal Commission into the Coolgardie Water Scheme found "of the degree to which his [O'Connor's] implicit trust had been misplaced [in Thomas C. Hodgson, the Engineer in Charge of the Coolgardie Water Scheme]<ref name=":1" />... unbalanced an already overstrained mind".<ref name=":0" />

It is claimed that local [[Noongar]] [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] people, unhappy with his destruction of the limestone bar across the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|Swan River]] at [[Point Walter]], placed a curse on O'Connor. and that "... they sang him to make him crazy", and his suicide was the result.<ref>[http://www.drivewa.com/item/184/c-y-o-connor-tragic-brilliant-misunderstood-genius.html C.Y. O'Connor – tragic, brilliant, misunderstood, genius] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331072742/http://www.drivewa.com/item/184/c-y-o-connor-tragic-brilliant-misunderstood-genius.html |date=31 March 2012 }} www.drivewa.com Retrieved July 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.creativespirits.info/australia/western-australia/fremantle/aboriginal-heritage#oconnor Aboriginal Heritage: CY O'Connor] www.creativespirits.info Retrieved July 2011.</ref> O'Connor took his own life on 10 March 1902 by shooting himself at the water's edge after riding his horse to [[South Fremantle, Western Australia|Robb Jetty]], south of Fremantle. Less than a year later, Forrest officially commissioned the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24740578|title=THE LATE MR. C. Y. O'CONNOR, C.M.G. – THE INQUEST. EVIDENCE OF MENTAL ABERRATION. DECEASED'S RESENTMENT OF ATTACKS.|date=14 March 1902|work=The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879–1954)|access-date=2016-04-10}}</ref>

==Legacy==

O'Connor's greatest legacies are the Fremantle Inner Harbour and the Goldfields Water supply Scheme, which ranks as one of Australia's greatest engineering achievements.

[[File:CY OConnor Statue Fremantle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Pietro Porcelli]]'s statue of O'Connor, Fremantle Port. The statue faces north-east towards [[Fremantle Harbour]].]]

The beach where O'Connor died was named after him and there is also a statue sculpted by Tony Jones, of him in the water there.

The Monument to C. Y. O'Connor was built in 1911 and was designed by [[Pietro Porcelli]].

The novel ''The Drowner'' by [[Robert Drewe]] provides a fictionalised account of O'Connor and the building of the pipeline.

On 7 December 1898, his daughter Eva married Sir [[George Julius]] at [[St John's Anglican Church, Fremantle|St John's Church]], Fremantle.<ref>{{Cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |first= |last=  |title=Sir George Alfred Julius (1873–1946) |id2=julius-sir-george-alfred-6890 |year=1983 |volume=9 |access-date=15 August 2025}}</ref> Julius was the first chairman of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) which later became the [[CSIRO]].

His daughter [[Kathleen O'Connor (painter)|Kathleen O'Connor]] was a successful and respected painter.<ref>Hutchins, Patrick "Last Link with Impressionism" ''Bulletin'' Sydney, 4 March 1967</ref>

The [[C. Y. O'Connor College of TAFE]] in [[Western Australia]] bears his in name.

[[File:CY O'Connor statue at sunset.jpg|175px|thumb|Statue of O'Connor and horse at [[C.Y. O'Connor Beach|C.Y. O'Connor beach]]]]

The [[Division of O'Connor]], named after O'Connor, is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Western Australia. Originally it encircled the area around Perth, from Geraldton on the Indian Ocean coast to Albany on the Southern Ocean coast. The electoral boundary was changed dramatically in 2008 (taking effect in 2010) and it now includes the Southern Wheatbelt and most of the Goldfields of Western Australia.

A [[bronze]] statue of O'Connor by [[Pietro Porcelli]] stands in front of the Fremantle Port Authority buildings, commemorating O'Connor's achievements.
O'Connor has also had a school named after him called O'Connor Primary School, in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

A song called 'C.Y. O'Connor' by a local Irish band based in Western Australian named The Healys was written in memory of the Irish Engineer.

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==Notes==
{{reflist|33em}}
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==References==
<!--Include a [[bibliography]] listed in [[The MLA style manual|MLA]] format. Use [http://www.easybib.com/ EasyBib.com] for assisted MLA-formatted bibliography entries, or [[OttoBib]] for automatic bibliography creation from a list of [[ISBN]] numbers. See [[Reference management software]] for additional tools.
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* Ayris, Cyril. ''C.Y.O'Connor : a brief biography'' West Perth, W.A. : Cyril Ayris Freelance, 2004. {{ISBN|0-9578853-4-2}}
* Bourke, Peter. ''Wettening Auralia'' Nedlands, W.A.: Auralia Press, 2015. {{ISBN|9780646944210}}
* Drewe, Robert. ''The drowner'' Sydney: Picador, 1997. {{ISBN|0-330-36012-4}}
* Evans, A. G. ''C.Y. O'Connor : his life and legacy'' . Crawley, W. A.: University of Western Australia Press, 2001. {{ISBN|1-876268-62-X}}
* Hasluck, Alexandra. ''C.Y. O'Connor''. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1965.
* Tauman, Merab. ''The chief: C.Y. O'Connor'' . Nedlands: University of Western Australia Press, 1978. {{ISBN|0-85564-123-1}}
* Webb, Martyn J. ''Death of a hero: the strange suicide of Charles Yelverton O'Connor''. Early days Vol. 11, part 1 (1995), pp.&nbsp;81–111.
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==External links==
{{Commons|C. Y. O'Connor}}
<!--List official websites, organizations named after the subject, and other interesting yet relevant websites. No spam.-->
*{{Dictionary of Australian Biography|First=Charles|Last=O'Connor|shortlink=0-dict-biogN-O.html#o'connor1}}
*[http://www.abc.net.au/perth/stories/s1884836.htm Statue Named Perth's Best Public Art]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [http://www.goldenpipeline.com.au The Golden Pipeline Project]. A [[National Trust of Australia]] project to commemorate the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme
*{{cite Australasian|O'Connor, C. Y.}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, C. Y.}}
[[Category:1843 births]]
[[Category:1902 suicides]]
[[Category:1902 deaths]]
[[Category:Engineers from County Westmeath]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to colonial Australia]]
[[Category:Burials at Fremantle Cemetery]]
[[Category:Public servants of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Western Australia]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in Australia]]
[[Category:Suicides in Western Australia]]
[[Category:Harbour engineers]]
[[Category:Fremantle Harbour]]
[[Category:Goldfields Water Supply Scheme]]
[[Category:19th-century Irish engineers]]
[[Category:19th-century Australian engineers]]
[[Category:Julius family]]
[[Category:Colony of Western Australia people]]