Gold found at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Background. Kalgoorlie is located in the Goldfields–Esperance region, 595 km east-northeast of Perth. The city was established in 1893 during the Western Australian gold rushes. Prior to the formal townsite declaration in 1894, the area was locally known as Hannan's Find, referencing the gold discovery by Paddy Hannan in June 1893.

Discovery. In the winter of 1893, prospectors Patrick Hannan, Tom Flanagan, and Dan Shea were travelling to Mount Youle when one of their horses cast a shoe. The sources date the gold discovery to June 1893 but do not state an exact day. On 17 June 1893, Hannan filed a Reward Claim, which resulted in hundreds of men swarming to the area in search of gold.

Naming. The area was originally called Hannan's Find. In 1894, the Western Australian government declared a townsite. The name Kalgoorlie was selected in August 1894, despite concerns that the native name Calgoorlie was too similar to Coolgardie, risking postal mistakes.