Opal Miners Hall of Fame
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1) Black Drago 2) Bob & Branko 3) 'Tesla' Cindric 4) Jarra RIP 5) Col Duff 6) Gidgee Bill RIP |
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OPALTON CREW 7) Jerry Doktor & Branko Priebevich 8) Elisabeth Delarue tunneling 9) Wally 'Wombat' Lineck RIP 10) 'Tarzan' Antic |
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11) Kerry Jackson 12) Joe Kanny 13) James Hinds 14) Lilo & Meryl 15) Peter Christianos |
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16) Steve Ballard at 'Lina Glen' Jundah 1991 17) Joe Taranto in Opal Creek SEND US YOUR PICTURES AND WE WILL GET THEM ONLINE!!!! |
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18) Robson Wong, Ray Moore, Jack Hinds & Eric Lenton @ Hopal 19) 'Silky' or 'Jundah' Joe RIP |
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20) 'Fearless' Frank Tyne playing in PJ's @ Lina Glen 1993. 21)Yale Mercer & Nikita Apostoloudas @ Coathworth Mine operated by Opaline 2003 22) Bruce & Steve Ballard @ Scattery Creek 1988. 23) 'The Balkans Club' Milenko Kaljevic, Monty Negovanovic & Big Marko Uzelac, at the Tatts Hotel Winton April 2009. |
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1) Jim Megalos, Lenny Butts & Peter Christianos 1970 2) Bill Antoniades & Elias Christianos watching a Kokatha tribesman charring a Roo tail. 3) George & Zoe Christianos c.1958 4) Emannuel, Peter Christianos & Crew 5) Ross Christianos, Bill Antoniades & author P.Vin Wake 6) Andamooka - the bare essentials! 7) Greg Sherman and American David Caplan inspecting thousands of ounces of Spencer Dunstan's Opal in 1962. |
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8) Oldtimers Hut Andamooka 9) Crocodile Harry spent 13 years hunting crocs before trying his luck in Coober Pedy where he resides in his famous cave. The real deal Opal Dundee! 10) Jago Jozic preparing gelignite sticks 11) Ray Rhiney pegging on old Mintabie airstrip - Claim No.51. The last release of the airstrip & no opal there *#@^!!! 12) Farid Khan(right) & Abdullah Chan, Opal Hotel Coober Pedy ca.1972, photograph by Bruce Howard
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13) Margret Mackay editor of 'Coober Pedy Regional Times' tumbling 14 mile find with partners Steve & Jimmy Efstradiou 14) John & George Doumtzis 15) Ken Male of Coober Pedy with BT a Mintabie girl & tour guide & Trevor Richter Miner from Mintabie
16) Chuck another snag on the barby!
17) Zoe's yard
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| Tony Nicolitsi aka 'Beethoven' - champagne for one!? |
Buying on the fields - Jocks Club Inc. or 'Grasshoppers' as they were better known. |
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| Nick Macris & Anthony Maras | Con 'Atlas' Kyros & Beethoven with noodlers in the cut! |
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| 'Groover' Peter Damianos entertaining the 'Grasshoppers' camp at Mintabie circa 1976. | 'Gorgeous' George Vinall & Nikola Stupar at the Tatts July 2009. |
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Stanko @ The Australian Hotel Winton May2010 |
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Vlado Prpic delivers an empassioned speech on the challenges of mining for Opal in Queensland at the 2009 National Opal Symposium in Winton. |
Freddy Salkanovic Outback Gourmet! |
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| Tony Christianos, Richard McConnville & Peter Christianos Jnr. | Nikola 'Picin Dimm' or 'Pussy Smoke' |
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| 18) 'Carpooling' to the Opalfields in the late fifties | |
Opal mining has long attracted eccentric individuals. The baffling nature of Opal occurence captivates their creative genius and the harsh beauty of the Australian outback sustains them in their quest!!!
LIGHTNING RIDGE Miners (1900's On)
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1) Opal Miner at his campsite, Lightning Ridge NSW, 1911.
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 2) Digger's Rest Hotel, ca.1972, photograph by Bruce Howard
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3) Stephen & Mary Aracic, 2009. Author of 'Determined' first mined at Lightning Ridge in 1965 and still mines today!
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Sources and Image Credits: B.5) OPAL MEN, P. Vin Wake, 1969. B.18) 'Carpooling' to Coober Pedy in the fifties. Photo courtesy of Stella Samaras B.17) Zoe's yard. Photo courtesy of Stella Samaras B.12) Farid Khan(right) & Abdullah Chan, Opal Hotel Coober Pedy ca.1972, photograph by Bruce Howard used with permission by the artist, taken form Australian Pubs Collection, nla.pic-vn4361734 the National Library of Australia C.1) Opal Miner at his campsite, Lightning Ridge, 1911. B & W Photograph by E.C.Kempe. nla.pic-vn3801038 used with permission from the National Library of Australia C.2) Digger's Rest Hotel, ca.1972, photograph by Bruce Howard, taken form Australian Pubs Collection, nla.pic-vn4361361 used with permission from the artist. |
