In 1889 former Premier Julius Vogel wrote a futuristic novel entitled Anno domini 2000; or, woman's destiny in which women held the highest posts in government and poverty had vanished.
Premiere twice in the 1870s, Julius Vogel was a staunch advocate for provincial rights, who pushed for independence for the South Island. Colonial treasurer in the Fox government, he set up a bold economic programme of public works and large-scale assisted immigration, that relied heavily on borrowing money from the London money market.
