William Hann


William Hann was a pastoralist and explorer in northern Queensland, Australia. His expedition in 1872 found the first indications of the Palmer River goldfield.

Early life

He was born in Wiltshire, England, on 26 February 1837. Fellow explorer Frank Hann was his younger brother.

Exploration

The first gold was found by Frederick Warner the expedition's surveyor on 6 August and further deposits were located on following days. However Hann thought they were not in commercial quantity; as a result James Venture Mulligan who in 1873 followed up Hann's report and announced richer deposits is credited with the discovery.

Later life

A death notice from The Queenslander, Brisbane, dated 11 May 1889 said:
In addition to the above death notice, the following article appeared in the Brisbane Courier, dated 6 April 1889, suggesting that the drowning was not accidental and took place at night.

Legacy

A memorial to William Hann was erected in 1959 in Lissner Park in Charters Towers. The stone used in the memorial was taken from Basalt River near the Bluff Downs homestead where William Hann first settled.