Goldrush History

In 1884 a geologist called Hardman was the first to note the gold potential of the Elvire River just to the east of Halls Creek. In the following year Hall and Slattery were the first to actually find gold. They rode their horses hundreds of kilometres west to Derby to register their claim.

At the time there was a Western Australian government reward of 5000 pounds on offer for anyone who discovered at least 10 ounces of gold. The reward was on condition that the field yield at least 10,000 ounces of gold. Sadly for Hall and Slattery the official yield figure for Halls Creek only reached 8668 ounces. In the end Hall and Slattery only received a reward of 500 pounds for what was Western Australia's first gold discovery.

The actual yield of the Halls Creek field was probably higher than the official Western Australian Government figures. It is believed that substantial quantities of gold were sold across the nearby Northern Territory border.

By 1886 there were estimated to be about 2000 prospectors on the Halls Creek goldfields, but before the year was out most had already moved on. The gold quickly became scarce, no major deposits were ever found and the rush was soon over. By 1890 there were only about 70 Europeans left in Old Halls Creek.