Queensland Opal Towns & Fields

Home of Boulder Opal

The Queensland Opal fields are spread over a belt 300-400km wide with a 1000km strike. Trending in a north-westerly direction from the New South Wales border at Hungerford up to Kynuna and stretching west of Cunnamulla, Blackall and Winton out to Noccundra, Palparrara and Hamilton. Opaline silica is common throughout this deeply weathered section of the Winton Formation which consists of sedimentary sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. Ironstone concretions or 'boulders' are also widely distributed throughout these Cretaceous sediments and may be randomly distributed or confined to definite 'levels'.

Seemingly untouched by man since the beginning of time, the vast, rugged landscape of the western region of the State has a rich history. More than 25 Aboriginal tribes roamed the country before the arrival of the pioneer pastoralists and Opal miners in the mid to late 1800's. Today huge sheep and cattle stations, mineral deposits, oil and gas fields contrast with the lifestyle of the nomadic Opal miner.

Winton Opal Country

Lark Quarry dinosaur stampede

Precious Australian Opal was first found in Queensland where it occurs over of an area in excess of 100,000 square kilometres, in a multitude of forms and varieties. Making South-west Queensland the greatest region of Opalisation in the world and the most prospective in the new millennium.

Lady Brassey in her book "The Last Voyage, to India & Australia, in the 'Sunbeam'" mentions that a piece of Opal was found in Queensland by the overseer at Blackall Station on Listowel Downs, in 1869.

The beautiful fragment stood on the mantelpiece for several years before it was thought to be of any value, but at the time of the greatest mining fever attention was attracted to the specimen, and it was sent to a mineralogist, who pronounced it to be valuable Opal.

The Opal encrusted ironstone boulders discovered on the jump ups of the Barcoo district by early miners Berkelman and Lambert attracted great interest at the Queensland Annexe of the London International Gem Exhibition in 1873 and became known internationally as 'Barcoo Opal'. Following the discovery of further deposits hundreds of kilometres to the north near Kynuna entrepreneur Herbert Bond infamously formed a syndicate with the intention of marketing Queensland Boulder Opal to the world.

However, by the end of the 1870s, pioneer miner Joe Bridel had discovered a new form of precious Opal at Stoney Creek in the Kyabra Hills that lie north-west of Quilpie and to the south of Windorah. It was the solid seams, 'pipes' and nodules of precious Opal from this sandstone Opal that the pioneering Opal marketeer Tullie Cornthwaite Wollaston took to London in 1890 which was familiar yet superior in quality to any Opal the world had known hitherto and helped initiate the Australian Opal industry.

Today Queensland's Opal miners are above all in search of Boulder Opal, this 'heavenly marriage of ironstone and Opal' is widely regarded as one of the planet's most stirringly beautiful gemstones, particularly amongst the cognescenti.

Despite an apparent abudance of the resource in Queensland, Boulder Opal constitutes only a minor percentage of total Australian Opal production. The 'tyranny of distance' and the technical difficulty in the economic extraction and cutting of this most brilliant of gemstones are challenges which remain to be addressed as we celebrate 140 years of the Gem's first recorded discovery.

Winton – Northern Capital of Qld Opal Fields

The Winton Mining Area encompasses a vast region of intermittent Opalisation, famous for patches of brilliant black boulder Opal pancakes. Also home to ‘Lark Quarry’ - a fossilised dinosaur stampede, which showcases three different species’ footprints. Luckily discovered by an Opal prospector and now preserved as a major tourist attraction.

Opalton –124 km south of Winton, was discovered in 1887 by George Cragg, a 17 year old stockman on Warrambool Downs. Almost a decade passed before the commencement of mining on this field which proved to contain the highest concentration of Opal in Queensland.
Today, a population of less than 20 inhabit what is a designated fossicking reserve, host to the most extensive Opal workings in Queensland, where once a township of nearly 600 people flourished.
The field includes numerous historical mines; Brilliant, Little Wonder, Bald Knob, Snake Jump, Conways, Dragon Fly, Kinder....

The largest piece of gem Opal ever recorded in the world was found at Opalton in 1899 by Dick Shillington and his mate Greenwood. It was 11ft long, as thick as a man’s thigh and took four men to carry it.

Working the Gem, an Opal cutter at Opalton in 1901 (pictured) has rigged up an old treadle sewing machine. Others used bicycles, designing innovative hand or foot operated cutting and polishing wheels.

Feelin Lucky Mate? Try your luck 'noodling' in the Opalton fossicking reserve!

Why not stay in a cabin or your own caravan, for more details contact the Opalton Outpost.

Jundah - Field (396 S of Winton) includes Jundah, Lina Glen, Opalville and Hayfield mines, and Stonehenge - Evengy Station to the south-west. The area is renowned for red coloured Opal in large sandy boulders and manganese Black Opal pipes.

The Black Mine was Australia’s first discovered Black Opal deposit and is significant as it was 10 years before Lightning Ridge appeared in the annals of history. In 1900 there were several hundred men idle in Jundah during the drought. With no other prospects many went gouging, it is said there were 100 miners working at Opalville & Black Mine at the turn of the twentieth century.

Kynuna - Northern-most of the Queensland Opal fields (200 NW of Winton), the main field was discovered in 1894 and lies 40 km south of Kynuna township off the Landsborough Highway.

This vast area of potential Opalisation has been worked very little and is perhaps the deepest Opal profile in Queensland. The Opal country is dominated by sandstone mesas in areas which are highly elevated (320m ASL) suggesting up to 35m to the bottom level. The prospective areas thereabouts are west of the main Kynuna field and south toward Dagworth Station.

Middleton - Numerous Mines surround the Middleton Pub (169 km W of Winton) on Woodstock, Chiltern Hills, Franklin and Brighton Stations.

Windorah - Mt. Windsor to the west of Jundah. Palparrara and Curren to the south west.

Quilpie – 'Gateway to the Opal Fields'

In 1871 the first Opal lease in Australia was registered south of Quilpie. Very little work was carried out on the 360 acre lease other than the sinking a couple of shallow shafts, and the lease was abandoned after several seasons. Twenty years later, the discovery of Duck Creek further south brought renewed interest in the area, the lease was re-pegged and named Pride of the Hills.

Toompine - The Paroo Fields, as they are known, lie east and south-east of Toompine Pub (77km S of Quilpie); Including the famous Pride of the Hills, Lushingtons, Coparella, Sheep Station Creek, Emu Creek and Duck Creek.

Duck Creek is a small (≤1km²) gem Crystal Opal field (85km N of Yowah) discovered in 1891. Renowned for seam Opal of the highest quality, possesed of a brilliance surpassing that of almost all other crystal Opal on the Queensland fields.

Quilpie - West and north-west of Quilpie; The vast Quilpie Mining Area is home to several of the most productive Opal mines in history, the famously prolific Hayricks, Bull Creek and Pinkilla Mines are still operating today. The region is noted for producing considerable volumes of large boulders. These contain predominantly Light Boulder Opal which often runs into smaller amounts of Black Boulder Opal.

Bulgroo - Further north of Quilpie field in the Cheviot Range, the mines include Bulgroo (Germans) and still further north west Budgerigar and Trinidads.

Yaraka - This field encompasses the mines on and west of the Macedon Range (165km W of Blackall): Including the mighty Mount Tighe, Highlands, and Harlequin. This area is other-worldly, looking out over the open country between the ridges from the mine at the highly uplifted top of Mount Tighe is truly an amazing view to behold.

Eromanga - "Farthest Town from the Sea" but just a hop and a skip to the Scotchman and some 'bloody ripper', 'you beaut' Opals! Also the namesake of the Eromanga Sea, the great inland Sea, that once covered much of the forming continent and the outline of which hosts the vast Boulder Opal fields.

Numerous discoveries were made in the area from the mid 1870's and the miners brought Cobb & Co. to Windorah helping to establish Eromanga, essentially Australia's first Opal mining town, with two hotels and a police station. However due to the sparsity of the surrounding deposits Eromanga was eclipsed and the monicker taken by Whitecliffs in a little under two decades.

By 1878 over 200 men were combing the 'Kyabra' hills to the West and Keerongooloo Station to the NW and until the collapse of the industry in 1912 it was the headquarters for all visiting buyers many of whom travelled from as far abroad as Germany.

Famous Mines include: Alladin, Breakfast Creek, Cunnavalla, Exhibition, Little Wonder, Friday Creek, Gem, Hammond's, Seven Wonders, Scotchman, Stoney Creek, Top of the World, Quartpot...

Yowah – Home of the Yowah Nut

Yowah township is situated 165 km West of Cunamulla and has a friendly population of around 100 people.

A bore was sunk in 1912 for the mining settlement and has never failed since.

There is a fossicking area for visitors, caravan park, golf course and numerous retail outlets and Opal cutters willing to help educate newcomers!

Gem Yowah Nut

Yowah Nut Conglomerate

The earliest reference to the Yowah fields tells of the discovery of Opal in an area now known as the Water Claim at Whiskey Flat. Later, in 1833, Opal was found in the area known as Southern Cross. This area was taken up by a company headed by Mr Bond. Work continued until the death of the manager. In 1901 this lease of 1000 feet by 1000 feet was taken up by a group of Germans. From 1902 to 1906 approximately 100 miners were working on the field.

An extension of the Water Claim at Whiskey Flat was known as Evans Lead or the Great Extended. Mr C.F.V. Jackson, assistant government geologist, in October 1902 reported in the Opal Mining Industry:

‘The discovery of Opal at the Great Extended was made by Mr Evans when deepening an old shaft that had been left by some former prospector, and it is now one of the richest deposits which is being worked in Queensland. It was first held as a claim, but owing to disputes was subsequently taken up as a mining lease No.6 by Evans and T.C.Wollaston. This is now the only mineral lease for Opal which holds good.’

Black Gate followed with the discovery of Opal on Dynevor Downs in 1894. Nearby mines include Leopardwood.

Koroit - Situated (80km NW of Cunamulla) 50 miles north-east of Yowah, as the crow flies!

Opal was discovered here in 1897 by Lawrence Rostron, the manager of Tilboroo station, Eulo. Rostron formed a mining syndicate which initially met with little success. In 1900 a larger syndicate formed which included most of the original and carried out more extensive work to a greater depth. The find was estimated at between £800 to £900. At that time thirty or forty men were working the field, however the lack of water made the field a trying place.

During the 1970's the field was deserted. Today this one of the most vibrant Opal producing fields.

The field encompasses the Red Star, Fiery Comet, Boobara and Holloways mines and produces brilliant Nut Opal, incredibly beautiful Matrix picture stones and red jasper-like Boulder Band capable of revealing brilliant faces of colour from thin horizontal veins of Opal.

Geology at Yowah Opal Field

At the Yowah field precious opal occurs in siliceous ironstone nodules generally referred to as "Yowah Nuts". Nuts range in size from about 5mm to 200mm across, are spherical or ellipsoidal in shape, showing alternate concentric rings or bands of light and dark brown siliceous ironstone. Rarely, there is a solid kernel of precious opal inside - which is the ultimate find. The nuts are found in bands (150 to 600mm in thickness) at depths up to 20m in a ferruginous sandstone, and are commonly associated with claystone lenses. The main level is located near the contact between the sandstone and underlying mud/claystones, but scattered nodules, and in some cases another productive level is encountered above it. The lateral continuity of the nut bands is somewhat difficult to predict owing to the irregular bedding of the strata. Sandstone at its contact with the mudstone is more ferruginous and cemented by partial opalisation into a hard band, which may also contain opal as seams and pipes.