From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
Lightning Ridge New South Wales
Fossicking field in Lightning Ridge
Bathing thermes in artesian bore water Lightning Ridge is a town in north-western New South Wales, Australia, in Walgett Shire, near the southern border of Queensland. Lightning Ridge is a world epicentre of the mining of black opals and other opal gemstones. Lightning Ridge has the largest known deposits of black opals in the world.
Population: Postcode: Elevation: Location: LGA: County: State District:
1,826 2834 170 m (558 ft) 74 km (46 mi) N of Walgett Walgett Shire Finch Barwon
Situation
Lightning Ridge is about six km east of the Castlereagh Highway, and is served in commercial activities by the town of Walgett some 75 km to the south. Lightning Ridge is a flourishing tourist town with numerous "caravan" (camper-trailer) and camping parks, the previously very rustic and contagious Diggers’ Rest pub (which has burned down for the third time) and a well-appointed and vibrant bowling club with its eight artificial-grass bowling greens. Temperatures in summer can reach into the high 40s Celsius, but below ground the temperature remains at a pleasant and continual 22 degrees, year round.
Location in New South Wales
Population
In 2001 it had 1,826 persons, including 344 indigenous persons (18.8%) and 1,304 persons born in Australia (71.4%).[1] The population is said to be highly variable as transient miners come and go over time. In Lightning Ridge (Urban Centre - Locality), the most popular industries of employment were
John Murray’s art gallery
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Education 4.5%, Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants 4.1%, Other Mining 4.0%, Community Services 2.7% and Personal and Household Good Retailing 2.5%.[1] There is an official population indicator sign on the highway as you enter the town that says, Lightning Ridge — population?. Prior to the 2004 Public Enquiry into the functioning of Walgett Shire Council, it worked on the basis that there were about 7,000 people in the town, but the enquiry found that this estimate was given no support by the 2001 census and contrasted with the 1,109 people who voted in the town at the local government elections in 2004. [2]
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
•The titleholder’s consent is also obtained, where the location is covered by a current title under the Mining Act 1992 Legislation. (This title may be an exploration licence, assessment lease, mining lease, mineral claim or Opal Prospecting Licence).
Water
Lightning Ridge has abundant hot water from a bore spring into the Great Artesian Basin and offers two hot water pools for bathing. The minerals make the water very healthy for external use and drinking. The public can tap mineral water at a hose in Harlequin Street. The Hot Artesian Bore Baths and Nettletons Shaft, on McDonald’s Six Mile Opal Field have been placed on the Register of the National Estate.
Activities
Lightning Ridge hosts an annual Goat Race in the town’s main street and a rodeo on the Easter long weekend. Goats are harnessed and driven by children, much like harness racing in equine sports. The goat races are accompanied by wheelie-bin races, and horse races the following day. The town has a 5 star Olympic Pool and Water Theme Park which operates during the summer months. Parts of the pool are protected by shade and the complex has B.B.Q. facilities.
Notable residents
Paul Hogan was born in Lightning Ridge.
Gallery
Arts
Some artists have settled in and around Lightning Ridge. One of the most famous local Australian painters is John Murray who brings the impressions of the Outback, often in a situation with man or fauna onto the canvas.
Aerial photo of Lightning Ridge town and nearby mines.
Opal mines and the plain that surrounds Lightning Ridge, NSW
Amigo’s Castle, Lightning Ridge, NSW
The bottle house mining museum, Lightning Ridge, NSW
Fossicking
Since August 1992 when the Mining Act 1992 commenced, fossicking licences have not been required for fossicking in New South Wales. DPI Mineral Resources. Under the terms of this Act, fossicking may now be carried out anywhere in the state providing the following conditions are met: •No other Act or law applies which would prevent it; •The landholder’s consent is obtained; •The consent of any public or local authority having the management, control or trusteeship of the land is obtained; and
See also
• Lightning Ridge Airport • List of fossil sites (with link directory)
References
[1] ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Lightning Ridge (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2001 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ ABSNavigation/prenav/ LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2001&a Retrieved on 2007-06-30. [2] Bulford, Robert (June 2004). "Walgett Shire Council Public Enquiry". New
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
External links
South Wales Department of Local • Lightning Ridge and Mining Photo Government. http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/ Slideshow dlg/dlghome/documents/Information/ • John Murray’s Art Gallery Walgett_Public_Inquiry_Report_31_May_2004.pdf. • Lightning Ridge Information Retrieved on 2006-11-14. (section 4.5) • DPI Mineral Resources Lightning Ridge • Walgett Shire Council Coordinates: 29°26′S 147°58′E / 29.433°S 147.967°E / -29.433; 147.967 • WikiTravel - Lightning Ridge
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_Ridge,_New_South_Wales" Categories: Towns in New South Wales, Mining towns in New South Wales This page was last modified on 2 May 2009, at 20:02 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
3