Nannine is a ghost town in the Mid West region of Western Australia. It is located on the northern bank of Lake Anneen, approximately south-southwest of Meekatharra, and north-northeast of Perth.

Nannine was a former gold mining town, the site of the first discovery on the Murchison Goldfield. John Connelly discovered gold at the site northeast of Annean Station in 1890, prompting a gold rush to the area. The Murchison Goldfield was proclaimed in September 1891 and the town gazetted in 1893. It was the first town in the region.Heydon, P. R. (1990) Nannine by the lake Meekatharra, W.A : Ross Atkins Mining; Carlisle, W.A : Hesperian Press. (pbk.) Cover sub-title: A story of the first town on the Murchison Goldfields

By 1894Bateson, Fred W. (1946) Murchison 1894. Reminiscences of his journey to the Star of the East Gold Mine, and his experiences working there. (Star of the East Gold Mine (Nannine, W.A.)) Early days Vol 3, Dec 1946, pp. 51–55 the town was large enough to be given its own electoral district. In 1896 construction began on a railway between Nannine and Cue, Western Australia, which was completed in 1903. The continuation of the line to Meekatharra was begun in 1909.

History Nannine is an Aboriginal name, "Nannine Wells" being first recorded by a surveyor in 1889. The meaning of the name is 'fat', used of a place in the indigenous landscape where the primordial Dingo of the dreaming bit off part of an Emu, leaving a trace of the act in a local cliff-face, which the Aboriginal people called 'nganiny'. The earliest days of gold discovery at this site are shrouded in controversy, but according to one source it is likely that the first suspicions of gold in the area were apparently held by Ingpen and Watts, station hands on the Annean pastoral station. In about May 1890 they showed the site to Connolly, a New South Wales mining engineer, who found gold but he does not appear to have been too impressed. In October 1890 McPherson and Peterkin were directed to the same site and found significant quantities of gold. By August 1891 they and others had recovered about of gold. The Murchison Goldfield, which included Nannine was proclaimed in September 1891. By December about seven hundred men were at the field.Heydon, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. pp 10-11.

The original settlement was down in a gully area between the later town and the mines to the east and north of the town. In 1892 John Forrest, the Commissioner for Crown Lands decided to have lots surveyed and a townsite declared, although Forrest referred to the place as "Annean", the name of the nearby pastoral station. When the local miners heard the auction of lots was to be in Perth, eighty five of them petitioned Forrest to have the auction in Geraldton. The lots were surveyed in August 1892, and the townsite named Nannine, as "it is situated from Annean Station and from Nannine Wells", and was also the name of the proposed electoral district and adjacent gold mining lease. The townsite was gazetted in April 1893. Following the survey and the release of the town blocks for purchase, many if not all of the existing premises including the businesses moved to the official townsite. Exactly how rapidly this migration occurred is not known, but it was apparently complete by 1896/7. This may have resulted in some businesses closing down, not wishing to make the move to rated land.

The town and surrounding area was inundated by heavy rains in 1913, Nannine receiving in a day, causing the railway line to Meekatharra to be flooded and creating a washway a few miles north of the town.

By 1919 the town was in deep decline.George Hope's – Murchison Goldfields – supplement to the Geraldton Express. 1897.

Utilities In November 1906 the town water supply was opened.Heydon, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 85.

Local government

The Nannine Road District was established on 13 October 1893. The Municipality of Nannine, covering the townsite itself, separated from the road district on 22 July 1896. The road district was abolished on 29 October 1909, but was re-established on 2 April 1913, when the municipality was merged into a reconstituted, smaller road district. The road district was abolished again on 24 January 1930.

A. C. Twine was the first town clerk.

J. L. Masterdon appears to have been the first mayor.

Mining Warden By 1893 the Wardens Court was still a tent with a notice board at the front,Heydon, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 195. but fortunately construction began on a stone building for the Warden's Court and Registrars office in March 1896.Heydon, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 62.

Walters, W. A. G. – The first mining Warden at Nannine. He arrived in September 1891.Heydon, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 11.

Police and courts A Police Station was built in 1896. The station was closed in January 1922 and the building removed to Yalgoo sometime that year.

Binnings, [Constable] – He was in the area by September 1891Pashley, A.R. [Don] – Policing Our State A History of Police Stations and Police Officers in Western Australia 1829–1945. Educant. W.A. 2000. pp 368-369. although he cannot be specifically pinpointed to Nannine until April 1892.Public Records Office [W.A.] Accessions 430. Item 824/1892.

Cemetery By 1896/7 there were about six graves in front of Judges Hotel in Simpson Street, but at the time they were due to be moved.

Education The Reverend Gilbert Harding opened a school alongside his residence in March 1906. This was for the convenience of parents with children who lived where no school was established. Boarders were especially catered for.Heydon, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 86.

Transport services

In January 1892 Spalding began a coach service from Mingenew to Annean and Marsh ran one from Geraldton to Nannine from July the same year. In 1897 the postal directory records twice weekly Gascard coaches from Yalgoo.Postal directory 1897. p 191. The West Australian Tuesday 6 January 1903 records the opening of the 'railway line from Cue to Nannine'.The West Australian newspaper, Tues 6 January 1903 – page 5

Postal & Communication Services A telegraph line to Geraldton commenced service in November 1894.Heydon, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 12. Work on the stone post and telegraph building began in March 1896 at the corner of Marmion & McPherson Streets in 1896/7.

Twine, A. C. – He is listed as the Postmaster in the 1897 postal directory.

Hotels and accommodation Original Townsite The earliest recorded hotel was opened by Dan DOWNIE in January 1892, but it may not have been the first hotel built. It is probably the Pioneer hotel recorded as one of five existing hotels in March that year. The others were the Royal, the Excelsior, the Murchison and the Nannine. Mrs RAMSAY, hostess of the Murchison was the first woman at the field.HEYDON, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 11.

Gazetted Townsite HOTEL – Downey & Murphy were listed together as hotel and storekeepers in the 1894 postal directory.The Western Australian Directory [PIERSSENE] 1894. p 131.

The Pioneer Downie & Murphy are listed as hotel and Storekeepers in the 1894 postal directory.Postal directory 1894. p 131. This is assumed to be the Pioneer Hotel as DOWNIE had shifted his earlier hotel from the old townsite and was running the business as the Pioneer hotel on McPherson Street in the gazetted town in 1896/7. He had presumably retained the business name from the previous site. David DOWNIE's entry in the 1897 postal directory links him with the Pioneer Hotel and store. It is not known whether these were distinct premises. It was one of four hotels trading in 1898.HEYDON, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 73.

The Royal John DENNIS was listed there in the 1894 postal directory,The Western Australian Directory [PIERSSENE] 1894. Page 131. but by 1897 the postal directory lists Robert J. RIDLEY. The hotel was still trading in December 1909.HEYDON, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 90.

The Victoria In 1895 Mr KELLY's refitted brick Victoria Hotel, was refused a licence on the grounds of there being insufficient population, although it had been licensed in earlier years.The Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette. 27 October 1895.

The Victory There had been a Victory Hotel prior to it being leased as a boarding house in 1893. The 1895 post office directory listed V. BARDEN.The Western Australian Directory [WISES] 1895. p 105. T MacDONALD, the then lessee was going to apply to have it re-licensed in 1896.HEYDON, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 60. E. B. SOUGHTON is listed at the hotel in the 1897 postal directory.

Judge's Hotel In 1896/7 this hotel on Simpson Street was the largest building in town.

The Nannine Listed 'For Sale By Tender' late in 1899,The West Australian (Perth) Tuesday 1 August 1899 p 8 Advertising the hotel was described as being splendidly furnished throughout, of iron construction and containing a large bar, three parlours, a drawing room, dining room and 12 bedrooms, plus appliances. It boasted a large billiard room fitted out with a renowned 'Alcock' table, and was advertised to include stables, outhouses and a butcher's shop, and was purported to have an annual turnover of three thousand Australian pounds. In January 1907 there was an explosion of a gasometer at the hotel, which blew the roof off one of the outhouses. Mrs Eleanor WILLOWS (née SPENCER), the live in manager at the time, was reported to have been unscathed.The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879-1954), Thursday 24 January 1907, page 5 'Mum Willows', as she was known, managed the hotel on her own from the time it came into the hands of Mr William SNELL in 1904,Child of the Outback by Lucy Christina Glanfield, self published, printed by Wescolour Press, High St., East Fremantle, Western Australia – p.67 until she moved to Meekatharra in 1920.Child of the Outback by Lucy Christina Glanfield, self published, printed by Wescolour Press, High St., East Fremantle, Western Australia – p.69

The North Murchison It was one of four hotels trading in 1898,HEYDON, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 73. and was the town's last hotel when it closed down in the 1940s.HEYDON, P R – Nannine by the Lake A Story of the First Town on the Murcheson Goldfields. Hesperian Press. Victoria Park, WA. 1990. p 100.

Other Businesses

Original townsite