Captain Charles, Engineer of Charity: The Remarkable Life of Charles Gordon O'Neill. Signed by Stephen Utick

Captain Charles, Engineer of Charity: The Remarkable Life of Charles Gordon O'Neill by Utick, Stephen. Signed personal inscription by Stephen Utick

Paperback, good condition, crease on front cover, minor shelf/edge wear. 288 pages Published by Allen & Unwin, 2008 ISBN: 1741753783 Illustrations, maps

The extraordinary saga of the colonial character 'Captain' Charles Gordon O'Neill is told for the first time. An engineer, inventor, parliamentarian and philanthropist, Charles was a principal co-founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia and New Zealand.

Born of Irish parents in Scotland in 1828, O'Neill travelled to the colonies in 1863 with driving ambition, matched by entrepreneurial vision. A brilliant engineer, he helped create town plans, railway routes and tramways across New Zealand. Elected to the New Zealand parliament as a goldfields MP, he warned of the risk of climate change from destroying forests. He moved to Sydney in 1881 to work for the poor of Australia. Beginning in Sydney's wild Rocks district, he pioneered many charitable initiatives and established the St Vincent de Paul Society in New South Wales. His foresight was vindicated as the colonial age of gold was followed by the economic depression of the 1890s. In a bitter twist of fate, despite all his technical skill, access to capital and political connections, O'Neill died a pauper amid the slums of The Rocks in 1900. 'a fascinating, meticulously researched and detailed study of the life of Charles O'Neill The themes of personal sacrifice in the cause of social justice and the fight against poverty are universal and still contemporary.' 'Utick rescues a singularly intriguing character from undeserved obscurity; and in so doing makes an important and fresh contribution to the written histories of New Zealand and Australia.

ALL PHOTOS ARE OF THE ACTUAL BOOK.

All books are sent free by courier postage within New Zealand.

Pick up from Phoenixbooksnz.com Waimate, South Canterbury. 

Please see our other listings for more great books: New Zealand History; Maori; First Editions; Signed; War & Military; Vintage & Antique, Hunting, Climbing, and many more.