An event will be held at Quin Community Hall this Tuesday evening (November 18th) to remember local man Paddy Hannan who died in Australia 100 years ago this month.
Ann McNamara of the Quin Heritage Group will give the special talk to remember Paddy Hannan, discoverer of the Golden Mile in Kalgoorlie.
The concentrated area of large gold mines surrounding the location of original Hannan’s find is known as the Golden Mile and believed to be the world’s richest square mile of earth.
Hannan was baptised on April 26th 1840 in Quin, County Clare. He was the son of John Hannan and Bridget Lynch. He left Ireland in 1862 bound for the goldfields of Australia and New Zealand.
Hannan is credited with making the discovery that sparked one of the great Australian gold rushes in what is now the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
He had travelled 600 kms east of Perth with another Clare man, Thomas Flanagan and met up with Dan Shea from Cork. In 1893, while on an overnight stop on their way to search for gold at another location, the trio uncovered 168 ounces of gold and pegged out their lease.
Hannan set off on horseback to Coolgardie to formally stake their claim. He returned with the police constable to find that Flanagan and Shea had picked up another 400 ounces of gold.
Paddy Hannan is still held in high regard in Kalgoorlie and after news of his death reached the area, there was a moment of silence among all the mayor and councillors in Kalgoorlie, and a wreath was ordered for his funeral.
The 100th anniversary of Western Australia’s founding occurred four years after Hannon’s death, and it was suggested by the state government that every town in Western Australia should organise a celebration to commemorate the founding of Western Australia.
In Kalgoorlie it was almost immediately and unanimously decided that the local tribute should be a commemoration of Patrick Hannon. A competition was held and the judges found that most entrants favoured a monument or a statue of Paddy Hannon.
Paddy passed away at the age of 85 on this day in 1925 after he had retired from prospecting and moved to live with relatives in Melbourne.
This free event will be held at Quin Community Hall this Tuesday (November 18th) at 8.00pm and will be followed by light refreshments. Everyone will be welcome.
