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Kalgoorlie Western Australia

Postcard Kalgoorlie 1910 -Photo SLWA
 

Kalgoorlie is the major city in the eastern goldfields region, and is located 596 km east north east of Perth. It was gazetted a townsite in September 1894. Paddy Hannan, Daniel Shea and Thomas Flanagan made a rich gold find near Mt Charlotte in June 1893. The find soon led to a gold rush with thousands of diggers prospecting the rich alluvial field. When the government decided to declare a townsite here in 1894, the place was locally known as "Hannan's Find", and at first the name "Hannans" was nominated for the townsite. In suggesting the name Hannans to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Under Secretary for Lands, R Cecil Clifton, noted that the "native name of the place is "Calgoorlie" but this is rather too much like Coolgardie and if adopted is, I fear likely to lead to postal mistakes". R Cecil Clifton supported "Hannan", but Cabinet chose "Kalgoorlie" in August 1894. Although local preference was for Hannan's Find, Kalgoorlie soon came to be accepted as the name of the rapidly developing town. An alternative spelling of "Kalgurli" was also used unofficially on occasions. Just when the name Kalgoorlie was first recorded and the precise meaning of the name is unknown. Various sources give it as either meaning: Aboriginal dog chasing a kangaroo; the Aboriginal name of a shrub from the area ("Galgurli");or the Aboriginal name for the local edible silky pear ("Kulgooluh").

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