Portal:Western Australia/Selected article/March 2008

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C. Y. O'Connor (11 January 1843 – 10 March 1902), full name Charles Yelverton O'Connor, was an Irish engineer who is best-known for his work in Australia, especially the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. He was born in Gravelmount, Castletown, County Meath. In 1864, at the age of 21 he migrated to New Zealand, and was appointed assistant engineer for Canterbury Province on 6 September 1866. After holding other positions, O'Connor became inspecting engineer for the whole of the mid-South Island. In 1883 he was appointed Under-Secretary of Public Works in New Zealand and in 1890 he was appointed Marine Engineer for the whole colony. O'Connor had much experience in harbour and dock construction by April 1891, when he resigned his position to become Engineer-in-Chief of Western Australia. There he was responsible for the construction of Fremantle Harbour and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme project that supplied water to the Eastern Goldfields. He was the inaugural Engineer in Chief of the Public Works Department. O'Connor took his own life on 10 March 1902 by shooting himself, while riding his horse into the water at a beach south of Fremantle.