pp 73-128 8/8/05 10:40 AM Page 75 Exciting Finds in Coober Pedy Every now and then news of an exciting find reverberates around the town and then travels like wildfire around the world. The area known as ‘The Jewellers’ Shop’ was one of the richest finds. Almost every opal shop in Coober Pedy has special specimens with exceptional colour or opalised fossils in their collections. Miners have also been devastated after dynamiting to find tiny shattered grain sized opals. The priceless Olympic Australis opal was found on 8 Mile Field in 1956, the year the Olympic Games were held in Melbourne. It has been appraised at US $1,800,000 and is displayed at Altman and Cherny’s showroom in Melbourne. The Painted Ladies were found at Allens Rise Opal Field as miner John Dunstan and friend, ready to give up, drilled ‘just once more’ to reveal a seam of opal of over $1 million dollars. Whilst not found in Coober Pedy, John’s opalised stone with the fish-like appearance imprint, is of interest. Is it a fish? At times beautiful opals have been serendipitous finds. During extensions to Coober Pedy Experience Motel, built in an old mine site. Proprietor Val says ‘we found what the original miners missed by only inches,’ and also ‘we hit on the most glorious pocket of solid opalised sea-shells’ (in excess of $100,000). Latest find in Coober Pedy Painted Ladies Every now and then news of an exciting find reverberates The South Australian Museum has some interesting specimens. specimens. Opalised shells found at the Experience Underground Motel around town and then travels like wildfire around the world. Finding the “Painted Ladies” and the parcels of black opal was one such as this. Coober Pedy opal miner John Dunstan has been mining all his life. From time to time he had looked for opal at the Allans Rise field, 65 kms out of town. He had found interesting “specs”, not anything of significance, but had a good feeling about the place. Aboriginals brought black opals into town a few years ago, which are not usually found around Coober Pedy. After requests from buyers for “Black Opal”, John thought there might be possibilities at Allans Rise and shifted his mining machinery there. On the first day, he drilled a couple of patches and was encouraged to see “potch” containing specs of opal. He took up a partnership with a friend and they continued in earnest. They found more potch with “colour” and followed the seam 20 feet, then 30 feet. By now it was not looking as promising as first thought, but they kept going, then almost gave up, and tried again. After becoming discouraged, then trying “just once more” another five or six times, suddenly before their eyes was a large vertical seam of coloured opal. In all they found two parcels of the valuable “black opal” and the “Painted Ladies”. Over $1m worth of opals has since been found on the field. John believes there is a fortune still hidden below the ground, waiting for some lucky miner. “Somebody, sooner or later will find it” he says and the word from the local miners, is that the majority of opal hasn’t been found yet. THE BIG MINER OPEN 7 DAYS SPECIALISTS IN ROUGH AND CUT OPAL MATRIX CONCRETE SPECIMENS UNIQUE FOSSILS AND HAND CRAFTED JEWELLERY The ‘Centenary Plate’ with more than 200 opalised shells was discov- ered in 2014 and is on display at Josephines Gallery THE BIG MINER Cnr Wright/Grund St (PO Box 431 SA 5723) Coober Pedy Phone + 61 8 8672 5397 90 Australia’s Explorers’ Way Email: nicktheodorou @thebigminer.com www.thebigminer.com Prehistoric marine creature dating back 115 millions years on display at Umoona Museum COMFORT INN COOBER PEDY EXPERIENCE MOTEL *Experience the joy of restful sleep of those that live underground *Experience the true mining town atmosphere on the property where mining was first carried out in 1918 *Ensuite, microwave, crockery, cutlery and usual amenities *View the “DESERT SEA COLLECTION” - Opalised Sea Shells *Expert assistance given with purchase of opals Tours arranged Crowders Gully Rd, Coober Pedy Ph (08) 8672 5777 Fax (08) 8672 5877 Email: [email protected] www.cooberpedyexperience.com.au FLAG CHOICE HOTELS Olympic Australis The Painted Ladies Is it a Fish? On display at John and Yoka’s Shop The Virgin Rainbow Valerie & Deane Clee Proprietors T h e V i pieces of opal was found by accident. Enclosed in a thick red crust, with just a tiny tip exposed, it could easily have been missed in the noodling machine and lost forever, unless unearthed by some lucky fossicker.. r g i n R a i n b o w One of the most colourful and valuable
