Paddy Hannan - Perth, Australia
Posted by: 
Ianatlarge
S 31° 57.840 E 115° 53.646
50J E 395498 N 6463020
A famous figure from Western Australian history, immortalised in bronze.
Waymark Code: WMGWNN
Location: Western Australia, Australia
Date Posted: 04/17/2013
Views: 8
This statue is part of the "Burswood Park Heritage Trail", near the Burswood Casino, near the centre of the city of Perth. It is a statue of an Irish gentleman, who sought fame and fortune on the distant shores of the continent of Australia. Paddy (Patrick) Hannan (1840-1925), emigrated to Australia in 1863, and became a prospector of gold. He travelled the various colonies of the great southern land, constantly in search of wealth.
In 1893 Paddy's dreams came true. He found gold, east of Coolgardie. This site was to become the city of Kalgoorlie and the "Golden Mile", the richest gold spot on the Earth. This discovery caused a large influx of optimistic people into Western Australia, boosting the population and increasing the viability of the colony (few of whom, of course, ever made any money from gold).
The statue of Paddy is life-sized, he is dressed in rough, prospector clothes, and he is pushing a cart, upon which are his worldly possessions. The statue looks to be composed of bronze. There is a plaque, which gives a brief biography and describes the significance of the statue. It is intended to symbolise the then present of Paddy's time, the now present, and the future.
Paddy Hannan has something of a folk hero status in Western Australia. There are any number of establishments named in his honour, plus there is a statue of the man in the town of Kalgoolie.
Visit Instructions:
You must have visited the site in person, not online.