South Australian Opal Towns & Fields - Mintabie
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Mintabie
Mintabie – although discovered in the 1920's by a well-sinker named Larry O'Toole, it was not until the mid 1970’s that extensive mining began here. As far back as the First World War, Aborigines sold black opal at Coober Pedy which most likely came from Mintabie - 254 km to the northwest.
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| Mintabie township viewed from the escarpment looking East | Magnificent semi-black crystal seam opal found in 1980 by Peter Blythe |
Red sand dunes covered vast amounts of Opal bearing sandstone much of which has been excavated almost exclusively by open-cutting (50mx50m) claims to a depth of 20 meters and as far down as 40 meters. During the 1980’s Mintabie was the major source of crystal opal and produced excellent semi-black opal.
The opal from Mintabie has a reputation for being harder than most, which perhaps bears some correlation to the fact it is found in Ordovician (500 to 440 m.y.a.) rocks, much older than the Cretaceous (144-65m.y.a.) rocks which host most of Australia‘s deposits.
The distinctive creamy-white sandstone found at Mintabie opal fields is much harder and compact than at other opal fields. This exacerbated the challenges faced by the early opal miners and it was not until the late 1970's that a Croatian miner named Milan Rako led the way with heavy machinery; he discovered a mother-load of opal on the escarpment. This started a rush of bulldozers and eager men to Mintabie which lasted more than a quarter century.
“At the peak (mid 1980’s) there were around 70 bulldozers working and Mintabie opal field held the distinction of the highest per capita use of diesel of any town in Australia.” Peter Blythe
The original diggings, known as Mintabie’s Old field, are nearest the township on the south-eastern side of the escarpment which runs north-south. Opal formed parallel to the escarpment for approximately 10 kms and mostly into a system of sand dunes to the west which are permeated by small valleys.
In October 1981, the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act came into force and Mintabie township & opal fields are now part of a large area of freehold Aboriginal land.
Mintabie's population peaked at around 1,500 residents in 1988, but has declined steadily to approximately 250 today.Lambina
Lambina - Although first discovered in the late 1920's going into the depression years, very little work was done here until the late 1980's when some good finds were made at the Seven Waterholes diggings.
Good strikes of high quality stones in 1996 caused a rush to the field which is 100 km northeast of Mintabie on the eastern side of the Stuart Highway. Some 300 claims were pegged, however, before many of these could be processed, the Wik native title decision halted any new mining. In December 1997, miners were informed that a native title claim would be lodged over the greater Mintabie area encompassing Lambina. Since then negotiations between miners and native title holders have enabled mining to continue.
Lambina produced most of the South Australian White Opal product in the last decade of the millennium, the population has fluctuated from 200 down to around 10 today.
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Sources & Image Credits: ABSALOM'S OUTBACK, John Mabey, 1981. (Andamooka) Andamooka Opal, Peter Taubers (photo of rough crystal opal) BEAUTIFUL OPALS - AUSTRALIAS NATIONAL GEM - SPECIAL 2000 COMMEMORATIVE EDITION, Len Cram, 1999. COOBER PEDY, 65 YEARS YOUNG 1915-1980, Kerry E. Medway, 1981. DIGGING AROUND COOBER PEDY, Anne Johnson, 2006. Mineshaft, Peter Blythe, Mintabie miner & historian Opaline, Photo collection Umoona Mine & Opal Museum, (colour photo of dugout interior) |
