Captain Charles, Engineer of Charity: The Remarkable Life of Charles Gordon O’Neill

This is the true story of one of the most extraordinary Australasian colonial characters, “Captain” Charles Gordon O’Neill (1828-1900), a parliamentarian, inventor, engineer, and philanthropist. Born in Glasgow, O’Neill traveled to the colonies with a driving political ambition matched by entrepreneurial vision. A brilliant engineer, he helped shape cities and towns in Australia and New Zealand, creating town plans, bridges, railway routes, tramways, and water supply systems. He was also the founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Australia and oversaw the development of branches of the society and its charitable works. Despite all his technical skill, access to capital, and political connections, O’Neill died a pauper in the slums of Sydney’s Rocks area.