Paddy Hannan

Hannan's miner's right

Patrick "Paddy" Hannan (baptised 26 April 1840^[1] – 4 November 1925) was a gold prospector whose discovery on 17 June 1893 near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia set off a gold rush in the area.

Early life

Born in Quin, County Clare, Ireland, Hannan was the son of John Hannan and Bridget Lynch. Little is known of his family. He emigrated to Australia in 1863.

Prospecting success

Hannan found gold near Mount Charlotte, less than 40 kilometres from the Coolgardie Goldfields. Hannan, Flanagan and Shea were following a number of prospectors who headed off to Mount Yule, 60 km east of Coolgardie. Having waited in Coolgardie for supplies the three Irishmen moved off to follow the main body of prospectors three days after the main body of men left. Everyone had waited at Mount Charlotte for supplies and water before moving off further east, so the three Irishmen caught up to the prospectors. The night before the body of men moved out, Hannan found gold in a gully. Not wanting to cause a rush, he informed Flanagan and Shea of what he found. During the night they moved their horse into the scrub. The following morning Hannan informed the main party they were going to stay behind to "find their lost horse". The main group moved off east and the three men started to pick up the gold. Having pegged out their lease, Hannan, the only one who was literate, raced off to Coolgardie to register the claim.^[2] After registering his claim of over 100 ounces of alluvial gold, an estimated 700 men were prospecting in the area within three days.

Death and legacy

In 1904, at the age of sixty-one, having prospected for all his adult life, Hannan was granted an annual pension of £150 by the Government of Western Australia. He ceased his prospecting activities in 1910, and moved to live with two nieces in 6 Fallon Street Brunswick, Melbourne. He died there in 1925.

The main street and a suburb in Kalgoorlie both bear his name and in 1929 a statue of him by sculptor John MacLeod,^[3] was erected there. A popular Irish pub at the Burswood Entertainment Complex was also named after him.

There is a plaque dedicated to his memory opposite Quin Abbey, Quin, County Clare in the Republic of Ireland.

References