Book review

The story of the Coolgardie water scheme is literally the stuff of novels, and has aroused controversy since its original construction more than a century ago. The chief engineer of the scheme, Charles Yelverton O'Connor, committed suicide and his chief assistant and designer, Thomas Hodgson, was professionally discredited, partly as a result of misguided ‘public’ opinion and a badly informed Royal Commission. Successive historians have picked over the story and a long-standing debate continues over the originator of the scheme. Hartley aims to set the record straight, to vindicate the professional reputations of O'Connor and Hodgson, and to give proper...