Prospector Charles Hall and others find alluvial gold in the eastern Kimberly region in 1885, creating the first gold rush in Western Australia.

In terms of gold yield, the rush is not particularly successful, but is the first significant find in the Northern and Western parts of Australia, occurring nearly forty years after the Victorian rushes.

News of the discovery draws more than fifteen thousand people to what is now Old Halls Creek to try their luck.

It proves an inhospitable land for these people and the graves of some can be found in Old Town's small cemetery.

The gold rush lasts less than three months and Halls Creek becomes a trading center for cattle stations, aboriginal communities and miners who stay in the area.

The post office with its telegraph line that terminate here, the police station, government office, racecourse and stores give the town a purpose.