KALGOORLIE RUSH.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1925, Page 4

KALGOORLIE RUSH.

DEATH OF DISCOVERER. SYDNEY, November 20. There recently died in a quiet Mel-

bourne suburb a man whose chance discovery of a nugget of gold benclitted this country to the amount of more than £100,000,000. He was Mr Patrick Hannan, the first man to peg out a claim on the famous Kalgoorlio goldfield in West Australia, and the amount named is the estimated yield of the field since Air Hannan made his find 32 years ago. Australia was then on the verge of bankruptcy, following the collapse of the “boom,” and the discovery of Kalgoorlio was a momentous event in the history ol the country. The story ol the find lias inanv versions, and it has olten been repeated in different ways, hut the most accredited version is given here. .MINER FROM IRELAND. Patrick Hannan was born in County Clare. Ireland, and lie came to this country as a youth of twenty. He went

to the Ballarat (Victorian> fields, and alter working there lor a number ol years, he crossed to New Zealand in ]H74. where lie still followed goldmining. Alter visiting most of the principal fields in the Dominion for about six • years, the lure, ol gold brought him to a new field in Now South Wales, and he continued the quest in this ami other States till 1889. Then he went to West Australia, and for three years followed the mining game there with varying fortune. In June, 1893, a report reached

Coolgardie that a gold find had been struck at Mount Youle, 50 miles away. A rush at, once started and a party set out which included Hannan and two other Irishmen, Shea and Hnnnigaii. 1 t ne night the party camped at the foot of a hill near the site of the present city of Kalgoorlio, hut next morning the three mates wore left behind, as they had lost a horse during the night, and they determined to find before continuing the journey to Mount Youle. While engaged in the search fin- the lost animal. Hannan's fool (•nine in contact with a protruding ! boulder with a force that drew a curse from hi-- lips. Hut the curse trailed off into wild shouts ot glee as lie made :i closer inspection of the ollending . boulder. It was almost pure gold and l there were dozens like it.

It was soon realised by the three mates that Hannan’s find was an important discovery of alluvial gold, and Hannan’s application for a reward claim was granted the same evening as he applied—Juno litli, 1>93. T lie next (lav there was a great rush to the spot, a tremendous quantity of gold was discovered, and Kalgoorlio been me a city overnight—a city ol gold, of rough, bearded miners, of the hectic times and high spending that accompany all- such rich finds. .Between that year and the present, over CIOO,000,00!) worth of gold was extracted from the mines on the field. GOVERNMENT PENSION GRANTED Hannan received the Government reward claim and about a year later, through ill-health, lie was forced to return to the coast to recuperate. The following year again saw him active on the field, and there followed a period previous to his retirement in which lie prospected in all parts ol the Stale. Later he became t'he recipient of a Government pension. Hannan was tlic lust of the three mates to pu-s iiit. Flamiigan died, a poor man. about twenty years ago. Shea was in no belter circumstances when lie died -ome years later, for “easy got, easy spent ’’ was the motto of most men in those days, and others reaped more benefit than they did from, their good fortune. Ilanmiii, who was 82 when he died, was in better financial circumstances but he was poor compared tti.li the wealth bis fortunate stumble over a gold nugget gave this country.