NSWMining
Lightning Ridge
Black opal, and a town that defies neat edges.
1902Modern opal rush begins
WHAT STARTED IT
Commercial interest in black opal brought miners to a district where opal had already been noticed. Prospector Charlie Nettleton arrived in 1902, helping establish the industry that gave the settlement its purpose.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Mining camps preceded the planned town. The new town was surveyed on ground thought less likely to contain opal, while many miners continued to live close to their claims.
TURNING POINTS
1902Nettleton arrives to prospect for opal.
1909The Imperial Hotel opens in the new town.
1913–14Government services consolidate in Lightning Ridge.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
Opal mining, cutting and selling remain central, together with tourism, art and unusual miner-built attractions. The scattered camps make its boundaries less tidy than those of a conventional town.