Dan Shea – Discovered Gold With Paddy Hannan

Dan Shea Headstone : 12-November-2011

Dan Shea Headstone : 12-November-2011
Photographs supplied by Derek Graham

Memorial headstone in memory of prospector Dan Shea who discovered gold with Paddy Hannan in Kalgoorlie.

Dan Shea was born in County Cork, Ireland, and emigrated in 1868 to prospect on the goldfields of Australia and New Zealand. He teamed up with Paddy Hannan and Tom Flanagan and the three prospectors worked together to prospect out of Coolgardie. On 15 June 1893 they discovered gold at Kalgoorlie. Paddy Hannan returned to Coolgardie to apply for a reward claim. Flanagan and Shea continued prospecting the site. After the goldrush to the area, the three men did not remain to see the amazing growth of Kalgoorlie. By 1894 the original claim passed into other hands and the three men went their separate ways. Shea continued to “chase the weight” through the Murchison and Pilbara goldfields. His last years were spent in and around Perth and he died a pauper in 1908. His gravesite was restored in 1973 after a representation by Mr Tom Evans, the then Member for Kalgoorlie.

Mr. O. G. H. Day, of the Perth Marble Works, Wellington Street, has just completed a memorial to the late Dan Shea in Karrakatta Cemetery, consisting of a marble headstone, with inscription in lead letters, also a kerbing and railing. The work has been executed to the order of the Mines Department.
Sunday Times (Perth), 31st January 1909.

Grave located in the Karakatta Cemetery, Western Australia, Roman Catholic Section BC232    Lat:- 31.968611 Long:- 115.796389

Inscription:

DAN SHEA

PROSPECTOR
A DISCOVERER OF HANNANS (KALGOORLIE)    1893
BORN COUNTY CORK, IRELAND
DIED 9th SEPT. 1908    PERTH W.A.
ERECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF
WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Information by :- www.monumentaustralia.org.au

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My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

Comments

  1. Denis Edwards says

    The story of Dan Shea I believe is not correct. In recent times I have been looking at this Man. My Mothers family have always maintained that he was their relative a story I have been sceptical about. Recent research indicates in all probability he was this Daniel Shea, who along with his wife Johanna entered Fremantle in 1858. He had two children Timothy and Mary. Johanna was most likely pregnant with Tim when they arrived. Tim died with Beadle on the Yilgarn Goldfields. By 1861/2 the marriage had ended. Johanna stayed in Toodyay and Dan went prospecting….

    • Hi Denis Thanks for getting in touch, the info I included is mainly from the ‘Monuments Australia’ site but I am sure they will want to have the correct details on their site.

    • Sue Felton says

      Hi Denis, Do you know if Dan had siblings that came eto Australia? Because I have 2 Shea brothers connected to my family, Robert and John, who were pearlers in the shark bay district, both were murdered by Aborigines around 1870’s. I think they came out with their father, who was a Pensioner Guard, and their mother, Elizabeth, in 1853 in the “Dudbrook”

      • Denis Edwards says

        Hi Sue i have other info on this family could you contact me off list if thats ok bunieboyler@hotmail.com
        The shea family are very hard to sort but i do believe are all connected
        Cheers
        Denis Edwards

  2. annette grigo says

    his grave status at Karrakatta is ‘expired’. i wonder if it will be demolished as part of the ‘renewal’ process – no date yet for Roman Catholic area as far as i know –

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