Letter to Mummy & Daddy - 07 June 1973

A handwritten letter from Christopher to his parents while prospecting for opals in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia

Dear Mummy & Daddy,

It’s a cool dry morning as mornings are here. The sun is rising above the trees that surround the camp. Don, George, and I have just had breakfast. I have made my bed up. Its comfortable sleeping on the ground over sacking.

George and I spent two days down the hole I mapped. Got a slight trace of colour. It was scarcely recognisable underground, so we decided not to make hard lessons of our stay and came out. I was not keen to have the embarrassment of being found in the hole as the owner had left some of his equipment there. George has found another hole to go down that may not be in a good area and is unclaimed (for some reason). George and I plan to go down there tomorrow. Today I scanned the surface only finding a few bright chips of colour. I met one or two people. It seems very little has been found for months and nothing big since six months ago when I was here last.

Those who are here, are chiefly retired with pensions and still active. Others here by their own means. Some are here with a disability pension or returned service men recovering from some minor injury that is not obvious at all by the healthy look they have.

Greed, which is infectious has made most of those who are regularly here owners of a number of claims that are merely sat on. Some hand over these claims to sell because it is beyond them to work them. Don went to Hebel today, as he is interested in its history and wanted to make a drawing. Its forty miles away on the Queensland border. Its where George and I spent last Christmas when the weather was so hot. It’s cool now.

We are going into Lightning Ridge today to buy bread and meat. I want some tobacco. Yesterday I found two small stones - difficult searching. One is very bright, green, orange, which may cut half a carat. The other a greeny, blue which may cut three carats. We will do some searching at the Three Mile Field, which is near the town. Its very cold at night. Did not find much at 3 Mile, a few chips of colour. 3 Mile is good for specking after rain when the water has washed dust away. There is so much machinery at 3 Mile that there is a lot of dust that covers the mullocks thinly and hides what stones may have been overlooked after the previous rain. Have just had breakfast, its very cool and a little cloudy. Different birds can be heard singing in the trees. Shall search the surface again today. Found a small mauve, amber stone yesterday evening after returning from 3 Mile.

George and I went down a hole, in which about five years ago we found our first opals. There was very little ground to dig. Just a few pillars but a strong roof. We tore these pillars out and got a small packet of nobbies, some with colour. With luck we should have one nice green stone each. One red was found (one other red has a bar of colour and may not polish). We have been very lucky for the little time we have been here. If all we hope we may pay the polishers – it could value up to $2,000 or more. We have only a few more days up here before we do a steady return to Brisbane, doing some sketching on the way. Five years ago this field was a quiet one, but now no time of day passes that you do not hear the sound of a motor going – whether a mechanical windlass, a generator or compressor. We go into town again next week in the car to get stores and to get polishing of stones arranged.

You must be very busy packing – hope you are getting some help. You will be sorry to leave Cock House – but I am sure your move is wise and timely.

I had a letter from Mrs. Phelps, the wife of Sam, whom I know well in Simpsons Gang in NSW. He had been badly injured in an accident at work – (head injuries) and was in a coma, which he is unlikely to come out of. I had stayed at their home and I knew the family. Sam I especially liked in the gang. It’s a pity, because he was due for retirement shortly. Mrs Phelps hoped I would come down to Casino, which I will do when I return to Brisbane. I wonder what happened. The gang has been working down near Newcastle.

When I get to Brisbane, I will be confirming the air passage and paying the fare. Travel date, I think, is the 28th June. Should be in England before the beginning of July. I will have a bit of shopping to do in Brisbane and a day or two to go to the seaside.

Traveling to Casino, I will be running over the line, much of which I helped to re-lay rails in Simpsons gang.

I might sell one opal, with view to the holiday. I should get over $1,000, half of which will go to George. This with savings will be a help. I might do a job for a while too.

Hope you are getting a bit of summer now. Strawberries will be about.

With Love,
from Christopher