A familiar sight to visitors to Kalgoorlie-Boulder is the commemorative statue of Paddy Hannan, which stands proudly in the main street outside the Kalgoorlie Town Hall.
In June 1893, Patrick “Paddy” Hannan, an Irish prospector, is credited with discovering the first gold in Kalgoorlie with his fellow prospectors Thomas Flanagan and Daniel Shea. Their lucrative discovery of gold at the foot of Mt Charlotte Kalgoorlie, began one of the biggest gold rushes in Australian history.
In honour of this historic find, an original statue of Paddy Hannan was erected in 1929. This has since been refurbished and now located inside the Kalgoorlie Town Hall where it can be viewed during the guided tour. (Monday and Wednesday at 10:30am, excluding public holidays, $5.00 per person).
The more durable replica of Paddy Hannan was erected in 1983 and awaits for you to take his photo and even refresh yourself with a drink from his waterbag.