Biography

Known as Jack.

The deceased was found dead in the bush.  He was found by George Burt and Dale Cullen near a pool not far from his lonely hut on the 31-Creek. 

This 6 foot, rugged bushman had been a cattle station owner and had sold out very well.  In 1885, after two years of drought on a Queensland sheep station, John Horrigan left Kyabra with Barney Lamond and his party.   Taking 35 horses and packs, they headed west.  They went prospecting on the Kimberley goldfield and then at the end of 1886, Horrigan, Lamond and Robert McPhee started butchering on the field.  They bought cattle from the Duracks at Ord River.  Horrigan then pushed on prospecting through the North West and later headed south to the Gascoyne district.

When he died, he was trying to locate an area containing tin, which he had found some years earlier on Mt Phillips Station.  According to author, Geoff Blackburn, Horrigan's Well is on the west side of 31-Creek and likely to be in Mt Phillips Station.  However, the general area is known as Yinnietharra from a prospecting/mining point of view.  The fact that Horrigan's grave is likely to be just over the other side of the fence is largely immaterial for most purposes.  At the time, Horrigan was a Yinnietharra-based prospector, prospecting around Yinnietharra.

He was found months later when his camels wandered into Bangemall and were tracked back out by a mate.  He is commemorated by  Horrigan's Well, Horrigan Pool, Horrigan Creek and possibly Horrigan Peak.