A HUNTER’S LUCK

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11124, 6 February 1930, Page 7

A HUNTER’S LUCK

ELNDING OF OVAL FIELD

The bloodstains of a wounded kangaroo led to one of the richest opal finds in the history of Aus." traliii and the creation of one Of tho the world’s largest opal fields, '• says K. (A Kennedy m tlie •"Sun NewsPictorial.” The ’rop was brought down by a hunter on .Mdtiiba Station, New South Wylie's,' in 1 ESS', and it was while he was iollowmg the trail of the wounded animal as rt dragged itself into the bush that, rush quickly became rich men, for sun. o Examination prov-'l it to be ail opal. 'J’lms came into existence the White Cliff’s opal fields. News of the find quickly spread, and w*llun a short time a busv Milling town sprang up where beiore tluio had boon virgin bush'. Ihe lorlunato, discoverer of the field was given a■ reward! lock, an 1 those lucky enough to . state ciaims in the big rush quikely became ia h men, ior the opal was of exceptional quality. I Jet ween 1890 and i'lOo the estimated output exceeded f.K'd.OCO a year. Many of the miners were greenhorns at the gain.', however, and did not know the value ol the opals they found. I'onsequent l.v it often happened l at .opals worth as much as flit) ...i nee were sold for a tithe of their value. Like tlie mirlv griltTtelds, White C lifts included in its population many undesirable eha meters, thieves, garotters, and hold-up men who found there a happy hunting ground. The absence of. banking facilities compelled die miners to carry .tluur .wealth..about with them or hide it m the Helds ui.til such time as the coach set out for the Broken Hill bank, about 200* miles distant. And even the coaches bare not immune. Indeed, White tl.ils was one of tiro lust Holds iii Austtalni to have its coaches lobbed under arms. Some years after the fields were discovered a particularly deling robbery ocuciTed. The offices ol ail English opal mining company at Broken Hid were entered while flic* staff was at the races, end the sale, containing a large quantity of moil-, cv was removed. The thieves carried the safe to an old mine shaft, and blew it open. People mil-acted to the spot In- the explosion were fired at by the desperadoes, who succeded in making a. o etavay. As the population of the. opal fields increased, and with it till: incidence ol crime, |llie lav-abidi ng miners made representations to Die New South Wales Government for police protection. In support of*thov request it was stated that at one social gathering the value of opals worn as jewellery by the miners . wives and other women present totalled £87.000! At tliic height of its prosperity White Cliffs Imd a pouhition of. about 5000. This gradually decreased however, as the produelivHv of the fields diminished, and White Cliffs tl'.d"-’v is deserted ex. eent for a handful of fossickers vim watientb- sift the old workings for signs of tlie abisi-e frem.