The Sherman Family

Established in 1896 by Ernest Gregory Sherman (Ernie), Sherman Opals have been wholesaling and exporting Australian opals for well over 120 years. The Sherman family has been at the helm of the Company all this time, building an indisputable reputation for quality and price.

Specialising in the prized Lightning Ridge Black Opal and Crystal Opal, Sherman Opals also carry extensive stocks of solid Queensland Boulder Opal and South Australian solid Light and Crystal Opal.

E. Gregory Sherman Pty Ltd ( trading as Sherman Opals ) is a 3rd generation family business established in 1896 by Ernest Gregory Sherman (Ernie). Ernest Gregory Sherman Jnr (Greg) followed as did his two sons, Peter Gregory and Warwick Gregory Sherman.

The series of photographs that follow are images scanned from the archives of the Sherman family that are provided by Peter Sherman.

Ernie Sherman (EG Sherman 1st)

Ernie Sherman in born in Bridford, Devonshire, England 22nd August 1876 The son of John and Georgina Sherman. Migrated to Australia in 1891 at the age of 14. Ernie Sherman began the “dynasty” of an opal family that survives to the third generation.

As the story at this point goes, and is related in literature - A Journey in Colour - Volume 2A, A History of White Cliffs Opal 1889 - 1899.

“Disembarking in Adelaide, his first job was grape picking in what are now the famous Penfolds’ vineyards just north ofthe city. An entreprenuer by nature, he later travelled to the Western Australian goldfields, where he contracted typhiod fever……In 1896, with White Cliffs (opal field) booming, and fit again, he was ready to try his luck once more , this time in search of opal.”

Further information from the Sherman Archives relates:

Ernie first tried grape picking in Adelaide, but with gold in his pocket ( when Ernie left England in the first part of the 1890’s aboard an old German sailing ship, sewn into his pocket was a half soverign and he had been given strict maternal instructions not to touch it until he reached Australia). Ernie drifted across to the Western Australian goldfields in 1893. This venture prooved unsucessful so after four years (and the bout of typhoid fever he returned east and worked at Broken Hill (NSW). In 1896 he teamed up with Fred Blakely (see Literature section for this comentary soon to be added Fred Blackley “Hard Liberty”) and decided to try his luck at White Cliffs the famous opal field in western NSW.

Times were rough but full of comradeship. the German buyersat EWhite Cliffs would only purchase rough material that was “full colour”. So after finishing the days mining, Ernie and Fred walk around the camps in the afternoons, buying up the ‘unsaleable’ material. At night Ernie would “snip” off the potch and then later sell thenow clean ‘full colour’ to the buyers. So it is believed the process of “snipping opal” began.

In 1908 Ernie Sherman left White Cliffs and travelled to Lightning Ridge, and so was amongst the first to mine the “new” famous black opal. In Lightning Ridge, Ernie would again buy rough opal from the miners onthe fields and cut it into gemstones atnight. He also orgainsed card parties and refreshments for friends at his “camp” ( a comfortable bark hut - with a verandah - curator:-see the soon to be added article on “living and accomodation onthe opal fields). Shortly after this Ernie stopped mining in order to concentrate on buying rough and cutting it which followed on to developing local and overseas markets, especially when travelling back to visit his English relatives. During these world selling trips and providing opal exhibitions he became known as “The Opal King”. (again this is related in literature in Ion Idriess’ book “Lightning Ridge” - Curator again, soon to have available in the Literature section!).

Ernie’s first buying trip to Coober Pedy, (then a new Australian opal field discovered in 1915) was made in 1919, and this trip was made by camel train! Ernie was also the very first opal buyer to visit Andamooka opal fields in South Australia after its discovery in 1930 and it is believed he purchased some of the first opals mined at the field.

On the fields a lady “gouger” (an Aussie name for the early opal miners) by the name of Berrington writes of Ernie Sherman

“He was a good buyer, the diggers liked selling to him, and his knowledge of opal was profound. He always the gave full price asked if he possibly could. Sometimes it was too high for him. and he made his best offer and stayed firm on it so that the diggers knew exactly how they stood on the deal. He ws kind hearted too. When a prospector was dogged by bad luck and had nothing but a few poor stones, Ernie Sherman paid a good price for them…. “to keep the wolf from the miners camp”. It was a common thing to here the miners say: The field would sure miss Ernie Sherman if he stopped buying.

Curators note: the only “Berrington” I have been able to find that may match the Sherman history is M.D. Berrington who indeed wrote literature regarding Coober Pedy and Andamooka. She indeed was an early miner and gouger on the South Australian fields, and her stories are related in the book she authored “Stones of Fire” - A womans experiences insearch of opal, 1958. Stories will be related in the History and Literature section.

Greg Sherman (EG Sherman 2nd)

Greg Sherman Born 19 may 1922 in Sydney Greg Sherman the second generation of the family following on the opal business. Greg first went to Lightning Ridge with his family in 1930.

Related in a document from the Sherman Archives Greg relates - “The family went to Lightning Ridge in 1930 and stayed in Phil Brady’s old house (the house is still there, corner of Opal and Pandora Streets, and I remember spending much time with the local kids (Greg was 8 years old) I remember visiting the Dominick brothers fabulous garden with their own water supply and huge sunflowers…also visiting old John Launders a few times for afternoon tea…John would entertain us for hours with his endless stream of tales, yarns and comical episodes.

During the school holidays I would spend time periodically helping to “snip”, grade and package light opal for export - 140 ounce boxes, sent insured sea mail to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and India at 7p (seven pence) an ounceand often 10 - 20 boxes at a time. It was about 1928 we began shipping opal to Japan.

The original office was under the verandah of teh our home in Bellevue Hill (Sydney), until Ernie Sherman opened the first office inthe CML building in Martin Place (CBD) in 1941, I joined the family business at this time.

In 1946 which was quite ayear, we travelled to Coober Pedywhere Ernie purchased the first parcel of light opal mined at “the eight mile”by “Toddie” aka Charlie Bryant. It was an interestin gtrip,as shotly after teh purchas I (Greg) suffered a severe atack o fMAlaria (probably from the war service days in New Guinea and Borneo. In Coober Pedy, and there was substantial raintwo and a half inches (63mm) in 24 hours, the Bush Church aid Society was unable to land, so the Flying Doctor havin gbeen contacted by pedal radio gave instruction for medication. Eventually being repatriated to Adelaide, very week, my balding began within weeks!

Ernie sent me to America in 1946 on all things, a war bride ship with about 300 young women and onl 22 men. I was carrying a stock of rough opal. Eventually I was based in New York, how ever travelled coast to coast four times , and trips to East and West Canada.

We organised four opal promotinal exhibits in the USA, one in Canada and then one later in London through and with the help of the Australian Trade Commission.

I did not visit Lightning Ridge again until the 1960’s as most of my time was at the South Australian opal mines, and our black opal requirements came from miners who visited the office in Sydney as well as our own “on field” buying agents.

When the Asians began to dominate buying on the opal fields it became difficult to compete with some of their advantages and so we closed down the opal cutting factory and then moved the business more towards Lightning Ridge Black opal and Boulder opal from Queensland. This became more of a trend when Peter and Warwick joined the company.

Some of the important named stones I purchased include: The Cardinal (almost 14 carats), Ribbons 6.32 carats, Duchess 8.25 carats, Aristocrat 5.31 carats, Olympus 13.31 carats, Rustic Prince 12.72 carats, Kahloween 10.15 carats, Bachus 6.05 carats, Ladybird 20.05 carats and the Apollo 9.90 carats.

Peter Sherman

Peter Gregory Sherman Born 18th February 1952 in Sydney. The third generation of the opal family. Peter’s interest in opal began at acout the age of 10 and continues today with the family opal business in Sydney.

Again the story at this point goes, and is related in literature - A Journey in Colour - Volume 2B, A History of Lightning Ridge Opal 1873 - 2003

“I (Peter) was about 10 years old when Warwick and I became inteested in opal. Dad (Greg) would drive to Coober Pedy and Andamooka in his Holden buying rough opal and and when he returned he would sit for hours snipping every piece, while the chips piled up at his feet….