O’Connor, C. Y. (1843-1902), was an Irish-born engineer who designed a plan to supply fresh water to the gold fields of Western Australia . He also improved Australia’s rail services and designed a safe deepwater port at Fremantle .
Charles Yelverton O’Connor was born on Jan. 11, 1843, in Castletown, County Meath, in Ireland. As a teenager, he worked as an apprentice railway engineer. In 1865, O’Connor migrated to New Zealand , where he spent the next 25 years on engineering works. In 1874, he married Susan Letitia Ness. The couple had eight children.
In 1891, O’Connor accepted the invitation of Sir John Forrest , the premier of Western Australia, to become the colony’s chief engineer. After O’Connor moved to Western Australia, his first major task was to build a suitable harbor for the colony. O’Connor recommended building the harbor at the mouth of the Swan River . To do so, workers had to remove a bar of rock. Previous attempts had failed, but O’Connor proposed blasting and removing the rock in stages. Workmen then built a protected harbor, with quays (landing places) and warehouses. The harbor was declared open in May 1897. That year, O’Connor was appointed a companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. The title honored his service to the British Crown.
In the early 1890’s, O’Connor also served as acting general manager for the colony’s railways. Under his direction, the length of Western Australia’s railways rapidly expanded. A new railway station in Perth was completed in 1894. By 1896, the railways, which previously had struggled, were running at considerable profit.
In 1892 and 1893, gold was discovered at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie , to the east of Perth. Miners flocked to the area from all parts of Australia, bringing an increased demand for water. In 1896, authorities asked O’Connor to propose a comprehensive water scheme for the gold fields. His plan involved the construction of a reservoir on the Helena River in the Darling Range near Perth, 340 feet (104 meters) above sea level. From there, a series of eight pumping stations would pump water through some 348 miles (560 kilometers) of steel pipes. The pipeline ended at a reservoir at Mount Charlotte, near Kalgoorlie, some 1,375 feet (419 meters) above sea level. Construction on the project began in 1898. The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was officially opened in January 1903.
O’Connor did not live to see the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme succeed. His plans met with sharp criticism, and he was accused of extravagance with public money and of suggesting projects doomed to failure. The press continually attacked his character. O’Connor committed suicide on March 10, 1902.
O’Connor’s water scheme was crucial to the development of the Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie gold fields. The pipeline, which has since been expanded and improved, continues to provide water to the area. Fremantle Harbour remains Western Australia’s chief port.
