There will be one undisputed King of Kalgoorlie when the famous Diggers and Dealers conference kicks off on Monday and despite what Slim Dusty says, it won't be Paddy Hannan.

What Hannan started in 1893 with a spectacular gold discovery was largely consolidated under one roof this week by Bill Beament, a mining engineer who learned his trade down the road at Kalgoorlie's famous School of Mines.