WHY OPAL ?

Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia is the world’s only significant commercial source of black opal, the rarest and most valuable form of opal.Premium quality semi-black and crystal opals are also produced from the area.Opal mining commenced in 1902 and it continues today on about 200 distinct opal fields.

Despite this, presently (Feb 2000) there are no major public collections or displays of opal in the Lightning Ridge region.

The Lightning Ridge Opal and Fossil Centre is a non profit organisation working in cooperation with the Walgett Shire Council to develop a public display of opals, fossils and mining heritage.