author
Sir Julius Vogel
1835–1899
A bold, fast-moving political figure, he helped reshape 19th-century New Zealand through ambitious public works and railway building. He was also a journalist and one of the country’s most unusual early novelists.
1 Audiobook
Anno Domini 2000; or, Woman's Destiny
by Sir Julius Vogel
About the author
Born in London in 1835, Julius Vogel went first to Australia during the gold-rush years and later settled in New Zealand. He worked as a journalist and newspaper owner before moving into politics, where his energy, confidence, and appetite for large ideas quickly made him stand out.
Vogel is best remembered as premier of New Zealand and as the architect of a major public works and immigration program in the 1870s. His government borrowed heavily to fund railways, roads, and other infrastructure, a strategy that left a lasting mark on the country’s development. He was also notable as New Zealand’s first Jewish premier.
Beyond politics, Vogel had a literary side. He wrote Anno Domini 2000, or, Woman’s Destiny, a speculative novel that is often remembered for imagining a future world with women in positions of power. He died in England in 1899, but he remains an important and often fascinating figure in New Zealand history.