Outback opal mining town and main stopover between Port
Augusta and Alice Springs. Opals, tours. Opal was first discovered by Jim Hutchison at the Coober Pedy opal field in 1914. By 1917 opal miners came to settle and try their luck and, after the Great War (1914-18) returned soldiers drifted to the fields to seek their fortune. Coober Pedy was named by the local Progress and Miners Association in 1922 from the aboriginal 'Kupa Piti', meaning white man's hole, or waterhole. A cosmopolitan town with a floating population, it, with the Mintabie opal fields near Marla, further north, produce 90% of the worlds opal. Over 30 fields dot the area extending from 30km. north of town (The Shellpatch) to The Craters, 10km. south-east, and 'Rose's Folly', 15km. west. There are piles of used rubble everywhere from the shafts sunk deep into the limestone rock. Many of the towns residents live underground in 'dug-outs'. Begun as mines, these comfortable homes develop as the mine gets larger and larger. Fully furnished and decorated they are an ideal way of living in the hot climate of the desert, and the natural insulation keeps temperatures constant. Many are lit by cutting holes out through individual channels, and concreting glass panels (including car windscreens) into the holes. Some dug-outs have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many places in Coober Pedy specialise in opal sales and there you will find several galleries and craft shops in the town to purchase from. PLACES OF INTEREST: Annual Events The Opal Festival is held each Easter with a parade through the main street. Each July sees the Greek Glendi Festival and the long weekend in October there is a Gymkhana and horse-racing.
INFORMATION CENTRE: Coober Pedy Information Centre: Hutchison St. Coober Pedy. S.A. 5723. Ph: (08) 8672 5298. Fax: (08) 8672 5699. Toll Free: 1800 637 076. All Hours Open 9am to 5pm. Mon to Fri. HOW TO GET THERE: |