 The Australian Opal Centre will be located in the starkly beautiful mining landscape of the Three Mile opal field.  View from the air. Fred Bodel's camp, the oldest remaining mining camp in Lightning Ridge, was built in 1916. There are many sites of heritage significance in the close vicinity of the Australian Opal Centre site.  Sweeping views of the AOC site. This site has been mined intermittently for nearly 100 years.  LEFT: Moonrise. Standing on the AOC site, on some evenings you can watch the moon rise in the east as the sun sets in the west. MIDDLE: Site visit in 2007 by NSW Members of Parliament with representatives of the Australian Opal Centre and Lightning Ridge Miners' Association. From left: Kevin Humphries, Danny Hatcher, Maxine O'Brien, David Lane, Barry O'Farrell, Andrew Fraser, Dick Estens and Andrew Stoner. RIGHT: Wild orange tree in flower near the future location of the AOC building.  Looking west across the AOC site. The open cut (right) will feature as a part of the Australian Opal Centre visitor experience.  LEFT: Native Cassia in bloom. This species flowers year-round. RIGHT: The sunset shot - cheesy, but pretty neat all the same. |