INTRODUCTION

 

There are no public collections or displays of opal, fossils and mining heritage in the Lightning Ridge region. As a result, a non profit organisation was formed in cooperation with the Walgett Shire Council with the objective of developing such displays and a facility to house them.

 

Presently opal mining is the major contributor to the local economy, however opal is a non-renewable resource. Tourism is also an important industry that is expected to develop in importance with the establishment of the proposed facility.

 

 

THE REGION

 

Lightning Ridge has an estimated population of 5,000 to 6,000 people and it is part of the Walgett Shire, located in north western New South Wales. Dominant economic activities in area are opal mining, tourism, wheat growing and grazing.

 

Lightning Ridge is located along the Castlereagh Highway which is part of the Great Inland Tourist Link. This highway is the most direct route between Melbourne and north Queensland.

 

Opal mining has attracted people from more than 50 different nationalities to live and work in the town. Some miners literally go from rags to riches when they strike a rich "pocket" of high quality black opal.

 

There is about 6,000 opal mining claims distributed over about 200 distinct opal fields in the region. Most mining is undertaken by underground methods at depths of up 30m. Some open cut mining occurs on areas which are unsafe for underground mining methods.

 

OPAL AND FOSSILS

 

Opal mining commenced in 1901 and continues today, usually being undertaken by individuals or small partnerships. The Lightning Ridge area is the only significant source of black opal in the world. This form of opal is the rarest and most valuable form of opal.

 

Occasionally miners recover fossils when digging for opal, including opalised shells, bones, teeth, and plant remains. These fossils are unique because;

 

· Some are composed of precious opal, thereby having value as a gem as well as being scientifically important.

 

· They include the oldest known monotreme fossils.

 

· Lightning Ridge is the most prolific, and only significant, source of dinosaur fossils in New South Wales.

 

· In some cases finest details of the fossils are preserved, including internal bone structure.

 

PROPOSED FACILITY

 

Most significant opals and fossils recovered from the Lightning Ridge region are sold overseas or held in private collections. Many potentially scientifically important specimens have been lost this way and have never been identified or displayed because of the lack of a facility like the one proposed.

 

The saga of small miners battling to find the sporadic occurrences of opal provides some of the most fascinating insights into the Australian outback. Visitors from Australia and overseas will have the opportunity to experience part of the rich history of mining in one of Australia's most romantic places, the culturally diverse and extraordinarily vital town of Lightning Ridge.

 

The Australian Museum has given preliminary support for Lightning Ridge Opal and Fossil Centre to be incorporated into the Fossil Track being developed to link the Age of Fishes Museum at Canowindra, The Warren Summerville mineral and fossil collection at Bathurst and the Wellington Caves.

 

The New South Wales Fossil Trail: An innovative Rural & Regional Initiative