A tribute to O'Connor
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (360110)
Rockingham, Australia
August 3, 2025 8:03pm CST
Charles Yelverton O’Connor (1843-1902) was an Irish engineer who was responsible for the construction of West Australia’s Fremantle Harbour and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, regarded as one of Australia’s greatest engineering feats. Both these projects were seen as virtually impossible but, 100+ years on, both the harbour and the supply scheme are still going strong. The continued use of the harbour by heavy shipping has vindicated O’Connor’s vision.
However, he is best known for the Goldfields Pipeline which I wrote about a couple of posts ago. Gold rushes in 1887, 1892 and 1893 resulted in a population explosion and the need for a reliable water supply became paramount.
Towards the end of its construction, O’Connor was subjected to defamatory attacks and libellous newspaper articles. The prolonged criticism caused O’Connor to take his own life in March 1902. Less than a year later, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was officially commissioned.
The Cunderdin Museum housed one of the pumping stations. It was steam-driven and the photo shows the tunnel that leads to the chimney stack which I showed in a recent post. It’s very sad that O’Connor didn’t live to see the culmination of his wonderful work.
16 people like this
14 responses
@snowy22315 (194123)
• United States
4 Aug
It is sad that mental abuse can really take a serious toll.
6 people like this
@Ineeddentures (13327)
•
4 Aug
@JudyEv
That's right
I looked back
I knew I had seen the name
I can remember some stuff you know
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (4157)
• United Kingdom
4 Aug
Oh dear …a very sad end to a life. A great shame that he didn’t get to see the appreciation of his work.
2 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (112787)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
4 Aug
It is a shame that the great feats that Charles O' Connor was not appreciated while he was alive.
2 people like this
@rsa101 (39717)
• Philippines
4 Aug
What a legacy—both inspiring and heartbreaking. O’Connor’s vision transformed Western Australia, but the personal toll he endured is a tragic reminder of the weight of public pressure. It’s amazing that Fremantle Harbour and the Goldfields Pipeline, once considered impossible, have stood strong for over a century. That’s truly remarkable.
It’s touching that places like the Cunderdin Museum preserve this history, showcasing pieces like the steam-driven pump station. They honor not just engineering, but also resilience, innovation, and the sacrifices of pioneering ideas ahead of their time. It’s so sad he never saw his work fully realized or received the recognition it deserved. A true visionary, gone too soon.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (77565)
• United States
4 Aug
I wonder if the newspapers and politicians who literally shamed him into ending his life ever apologized for their stupidity.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (87775)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4 Aug
That looks like a very cool, or should I say cold, underground place. How I would like to just sit there.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (20853)
• United States
5 Aug
That's sad that he took his own life. That's a cool tunnel.
@Shiva49 (27464)
• Singapore
4 Aug
The hard work was not only not appreciated by a few but sadly invited negative reaction.
That would have led to a heart-break moment for him.
I recall my visit to Fremantle Harbor in 2009. I was very impressed but did not know it was over a century old.
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