Australia - Guinea - New Zealand

Feb. 25 Back To The Good-old Days - Its Opal Fever At Lightning Ridge. It's a bit like going back 50 years in time just now at Lightning Ridge, Australia - for the town has been hit by Opal Feveri. For a 28 year old German digger discovered one of the best finds of opals in the area for half a century - word got round, and within days the Opal Rush was on. The population of Lightning Ridge rose rapidly from 500 to 1, 500 - a third of them professional miners, and the rest part-timers. Claims were staked, and 434 holes were sunk straight down, ranging in depth from 10ft to 90ft. Men, women, and children are in on the Lightning Ridge Opal Rush - housewives are abandoning their housework to become miners and really doing men-mixed jobs. And though most of the miners are loth to admit it, not trusting their fellow-miners - many of them are finding opals, worth thousands of dollars. Photo Shows:- Mining is a family affair for Schroder and Vera Gerhard and young Lutz, 4, seen here relaxing after a hard day's digging

Restrictions Only for United Kingdom

10ft 90ft Abandoning Admit Claims Depth Digger Digging Discovered Doing Dollars Fever Finding Finds Gerhard Holes Housewives Housework Lightning Loth Lutz Opal Opals Ranging Rapidly Really Ridge Schroder Staked Sunk Though Trusting Word Worth

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > KEY