Jim Steadman

James “Jimmy” Steadman (sometimes spelled Steedman, not to be confused with Billy Studman) was born in Sydney in 1862, one of eleven children of John and Anne Steadman. He was among the earliest opal miners at Lightning Ridge.

Steadman worked alongside names such as Charlie Nettleton, Jim and Jack Murray, Charles Gibson, and Tom O’Fahey. His claims were among the richest on the Three Mile, producing between £2,500 and £9,500 in their early years, with further substantial returns over time. Stuart Lloyd noted his success, remarking that Steadman “got good stone at deep Four Mile…best for quality ever got at Lightning Ridge. You could see it ‘red’ on the darkest of nights.”

In early 1917, Steadman pegged a claim on the Deep Four Mile after applying for a prospecting grant. Sinking to around 50 feet, he found a decent stone, which he sold to “Pappa” Francis for £150. The find was enough to trigger a rush to the area. He later worked at the Cleared Line field, finding a striking black stone with a flag pattern of red and orange-green. His finds placed him alongside other successful miners of the day, including Tom Urwin and Snowy Brown, Paddy Kelly, and Jack Boules, who unearthed the famous Butterfly stone nearby.

Steadman retired to Manly, where he lived until his death on 19 August 1941, aged 79. He was cremated in Sydney.

• Jim Steadman @ Find a Grave.

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, pp. 36, 58, 90; Lightning Ridge - The Home of the Black Opal: Unique to the World, Gan Bruce, 1983, pp. 70-71, 79, 81, 89-90, 113.