
What We Do
About Us | Our History | Our Team
The Australian Opal Centre aims to construct a new world hub for opal-focused activities, at the historic Three Mile opal field at Lightning Ridge.
Meanwhile, the Australian Opal Centre operates from four locations: a showroom and office in Morilla St, the AOC Black Opal Heritage Shed on the Three Mile field, a rented workshop/storage space and a further AOC-owned property, all at Lightning Ridge.
As a vibrant cultural institution and self-funded not-for-profit organisation, we are BUSY!
Our Activities
- Manage a public exhibition space open to the public six days per week
- Manage the world’s premier collection of rare opalised fossils and opal-related books and publications
- Facilitate and participate in scientific research on collection items
- Buy and sell merchandise
- Develop AOC products for wholesale and retail distribution
- Run educational and other public programs for visiting school, university and professional groups
- Initiate and host exhibitions and cultural activities
- Run fossil digs
- Develop and run opal-related classes
- Provide knowledge services and image resources to researchers, journalists, artists, writers, government agencies and professional bodies
- Provide a fossil identification service for local residents and visitors
- Support the activities of partner organisations
- Lead and participate in the documentation and preservation of natural and cultural heritage
- Run a membership program with over 800 financial members
- Plan for and progress the new Australian Opal Centre building
- Conduct fundraising activities to support current operations and help fund the new AOC building
There are many ways you can get involved with the Australian Opal Centre activities; read about some of them here.