Occurences
Basics
White Cliffs Opal field and township is located approximately 95 kilometres North North West of the township of Wilcannia in NSW. Wilcannia is located on the Darling River and Barrier Highway some 192 kilometres east of Broken Hill or 980 kilometres west of Sydney in Parish of Kirk, County of Yungnulgra.
The township of Lightning Ridge NSW, originally named Wallangulla, is located 750 kilometres North West of Sydney and just off the Castlereagh Highway in the Counties of Finch and Narran.
Precious or noble opal opal is found in the north-eastern state of Piaui in Brazil. The mining area around Pedro Segundo and the mining districts of Pedro 11 and Buriti dos Montes are well known for opal
The Indonesian word Kalimaya pronounced “Ka-li-may-yah” and is translated as Kali (river) maya illusions or “Rivers of illusion” relating to the flowing and movement of colours as the gemstone is turned and moved.
A little introduction to this occurrence of precious opal is needed. Precious opal from this occurrence in Europe is most likely the oldest known source for the production of the gem. Different records in literature can often detail geographically different names of localities with different emphasis. An attempt will be made to elucidate these differences so that it will become apparent that the records are of the same opal fields in each case. It is also interesting to note that various places named which are associated with European opal have ben “anglicised, or if I may “Americalified”. Peter Semrád allays all of these issues in his book: “The story of European Precious opal from Dubnik” 2011. ISBN: 978-80-7296-079-8.
Honduras has long been recognised as a source of precious opal, however not until recently has there been sufficient activity to supply even a small amount to the opal trade - Tony Dabdoub - “The fire still burns.’
Tintenbar is the geographical name given to an area in north eastern NSW that encompasses a number of opal discoveries and opal fields within the surrounding areas. Tintenbar is essentially the only area that has produced commercial quantities of precious opal from a so called “volcanic geological environment”.
The Queensland boulder opal fields occupy the largest or most geographically disperse opal occurrences throughout Western Queensland. The area goes from the Yowah opal district near to the NSW border and 70 kilometres west of Cunnamulla (some 1250 kilometres west of Brisbane), to as far north as Winton in Central Western Queensland, 180 kilometres north west of Longreach or 900 kilometres west of Rockhampton. As mentioned earlier, the first discovery of opal occurred at Listowel Downs on Blackall Station in 1869. In 1870 opal was discovered 100km to the east in “Barcoo” country not far west from Charleville, by Rev WB Clark, reported to the Royal Society of NSW in 1872 and displayed in an exhibition in the Vienna Museum of Natural History. In 1879 Herbert William Bond successfully floated an opal mining Company in London based on the ownership or leasing arrangements of several of the central Queensland opal mines.
Andamooka township is located 640 kilometres by road north of Adelaide and approximately 110 kilometres north east from Woomera on the road to Roxby Downs and almost on the western shore of Lake Torrens in South Australia. The opal was discovered in “floaters” after an outback thunderstorm at what is known as one-tree hill or Treloars Hill by Sam Brooks and Roy Shepherd. They took the stones to the station owner at Andamooka Homestead, a Mr Foulis. The first miners were Treloar and Evans who in 1933 produced about ₤962 worth of stones.
The township of Coober Pedy is situated on the edge of the Stuart Range in South Australia, 838 kilometres by road north of Adelaide. The historical literature records that Jim Hutchinson was leading a prospecting party looking for gold on behalf of the New Colorado Prospecting syndicate and investigating quartz reefs near Lake Phillipson. On their return journey, camping at the foot of the Stuart Range at Carrygallama Creek, the men were out searching for water. Young Willie Hutchinson, at the age of fifteen years was reported to have found opal on the 1st February 1915. The syndicate pegged the first claim on the 9th February. It has been suggested that the name “Coober Pedy” was derived from the Aboriginal “Kupa” (or Goober) meaning “uninitiated person or white man” and “piti” meaning waterhole or hole. Hence “kupa piti” a “white man’s hole” or “burrow” which could have referred to miners living underground in dugouts.
Mintabie township is located 40 kilometres by road west of Marla on the Stuart Highway, some 160 kilometres south of the South Australian border with the Northern Territory. It is 270 kilometres north of Coober Pedy or 1100 kilometres north of Adelaide.