Madness and Marvels

Madness and Marvels is the true story of two flawed but gifted men, both born in the north of Ireland. One, the engineer Charles Yelverton O'Connor, built a world-class harbour at Fremantle, defying the doubters who said it couldn't be done. He then went on to design the even more remarkable Mundaring to Kalgoorlie pipeline. The other, Dr Henry Calvert Barnett, began his career as an adventurous ship's doctor. After settling in Western Australia in 1869, he became the Colonial Surgeon for Fremantle and Superintendent of the Fremantle Asylum. For years he battled to improve life for the inmates of the neglected and overcrowded asylum. He was a lover of music, literature and flowers, and he longed to share these pleasures with his patients. The lives of C. Y. O'Connor and Dr Barnett intersected in Fremantle in 1891. For a time, O'Connor and his family rented Dr Barnett's house, 'Park Bungalow'. As respected public servants, the two men inevitably met at dinners and balls, sporting events and Sunday worship. The isolated West Australian colony had only recently obtained self-government. Conservative and dull, it was inching its way forward under John Forrest's leadership. Both O'Connor and Dr Barnett struggled with their own professional, physical and emotional burdens. In the end, each would pay the ultimate price. This non-fiction book is carefully researched and fully referenced. It will appeal to readers who enjoy historical biography, as well as those interested in the history of Fremantle and Western Australia.