Frying Pan

Frying Pan is an opal field located between Urwin and Brown’s shallow workings and Deep Belahs, near the stock route fence towards Hawk’s Nest.

It was discovered in 1914 by Bill “Scrub Bull” Edwards, whose claim looked like the shape of a frying pan. It was a shallow dugout just two feet deep, with a narrow trench leading into it. While the average depth on the field was around 14 feet, most of the workings were extremely shallow.

Frying Pan was a very modest field. Only one or two claims, and very little opal of value was found. According to The Lightning Ridge Book by Stuart Lloyd, production had reached £2,200 by 1967.

Article: Research by Russell Gawthorpe and Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: The Lightning Ridge Book, Stuart Lloyd, 1967, p. 72; Lightning Ridge - The Home of the Black Opal: Unique to the World, Gan Bruce, 1983, p. 90.