Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised this story reflects on colonial violence inflicted upon Aboriginal people and contains the names of deceased persons. ‘Blackmans Point (southern side) is a place I lived with my mob. All the children were brought up gathering and eating fish, crabs and oysters from the river.’ We lived […]
This weaving work Buna Fishtrap (fishtrap for beach) was handcrafted by Patricia (Trish) McInherny in 2024 using natural resources collected and gathered on Birpai Country, including invasive vine and native Lomandra (mat rushes). The techniques of random patterns and string weaving produce a strong vessel, used traditionally to catch and contain small bait fish. The […]
A man with an eye for passing trade, Mr John Selfe built the Imperial Hotel on what was to become Wee Waa’s main road. The 40-room hotel had already changed hands a few times and was leased by Mr W. Maher when a fire consumed the street on Valentine’s Day in 1912. The blaze started […]
Amateur racing clubs thrived in country NSW during the early 1900s. Unlike the tightly regulated metropolitan tracks, amateur clubs accepted a wider range of weights, ages, and skill, thrilling spectators with predictably unpredictable outcomes. Unpredictability was not confined to the track at Lightning Ridge Amateur Race Club (LRARC). In a curious twist, there were not […]
Rail travel to remote NSW was available long before cars and petrol stations became commonplace. However, the railways weren’t built for sightseeing or leisure; they existed to haul goods from the small towns that grew up around industries like farming and mining. The pace of travel was sedate, and large stretches of countryside were the […]
Founded and funded by altruistic opal miner, Madeleine Lenz (1917–2009), the Lightning Ridge Bowling Club was unofficially opened in 1967 by NSW’s Governor General, Lord Richard Casey (1890-1976). Attended by members only, the celebrations were jubilant, and the outback bowlers pulled together to make it a day to remember. Madeleine was a devout Catholic with […]
The Lightning Ridge Bowling Club has been the community’s beating heart since its official opening, but its journey to that milestone was not easy. The club opened its doors in Morilla Street in 1966, but it wasn’t until April 1969 that its first official competition as a member of the Royal NSW Bowling Association was […]
In April 1924, King George V (1865-1936) opened the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley to revive a war-weary economy. The 215-acre trade fair and amusement park showcased the resources of his Empire, uniting fifty-six colonies and dominions in a bid to boost prosperity and trade networks. Australia’s pavilion was abuzz, boasting dioramas with life-sized butter […]
Found at the former settlement of Nettleton near Lightning Ridge in north-west NSW, this brass seal was used at the local post office from 1912 when the area was bustling with opal miners and their families. As well as the post office, Nettleton once boasted a school, boarding house, and shops selling flour and tea, […]
It’s a familiar tale in the outback. A city slicker, rolling into a mining town with dreams of striking it rich, only to be met with the brutal reality of life in the desert. Brian Maloney’s cartoon satirically depicts what Lightning Ridge locals refer to as ‘Going Gougin’,’ reminding us that opal mining isn’t for […]
Museums & Galleries of NSW acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands that comprise the state now known as NSW.
We pay respect to them as First Nations people with a continuing connection to land, place, waters and community
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this site contains stories, images, voices, and video of people who have died.
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