Albert Holley

Albert Ernest Holley is one of the very earliest recoded opal miners at Lightning Ridge, appearing on the 1903 electoral roll with “miner” as his occupation.

Holley was born on 8 October 1886 at Gulgong, New South Wales, to William Holley and his wife Elizabeth. By 1903 he was at Lightning Ridge. He remained in the district until at least 1906, before moving north to Hebel, Queensland.

While employed as overseer on Clifton Station, Nebine Creek, Holley was arrested in December 1915 and charged with stealing 238 ewes from the property of C. H. J. Schmidt. He was apprehended at Hebel and granted bail.

In 1916, Holly was injured in an acetylene gas explosion at Alice Downs station, near Charleville. Apparently he struck a match while cleaning out an acetylene tank, and received severe burns to the face and (at least temporarily) lost his sight.

In 1919 Holley married Venetia Maud Scott McDonald at Charleville, Queensland. The couple had three children and moved frequently for mining work. By 1925 he was living at Mount Isa, where he continued to work in the industry.

Holley died in Brisbane on 17 December 1938 at the age of 52 and was buried there.

• Albert Holley @ Find a Grave.

Article: Research by Russell Gawthorpe and Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. Sources: Commonwealth Electoral Rolls, Coocoran Lake (Weetalibah) 1903, Maranoa (Hebel) 1906; ‘Personal’, Daily Examiner Grafton, 16 October 1926, p. 4; ‘Charged with Stealing Sheep’, The Brisbane Courier, 24 December 1915, p. 16; ‘Acetylene Gas Explosion’, The Brisbane Courier, 26 April 1916, p. 6; Death certificate, Australian Death Index, 1938, reg. no. B042067.