John Molyneux
John Molyneux. Photograph courtesy of Jenny Molyneux.
John Molyneux was born on 8 October 1933 in Young, New South Wales, the son of Arthur and Mary Molyneux. The family moved to Lightning Ridge in 1940.
In 1955, John married Janet Anne “Jenny” Long. They raised a large family, mostly while living on Morilla Street, on the site later occupied by the post office. Jack McCrae’s camp was directly behind.
From 1956 to 1958, John and his cousin Tim Regan leased and ran the Imperial Hotel. After the tragic death of Tim Regan, John turned to mining, working at Dry Rush in 1958 with his brother in law, Neil Lohse.
In 1962, John and son Ormie built a new brick home across from the old BNA, where Khan’s IGA now stands — they made the bricks by hand.
In 1988 he and Ormie found opal at the old Coocoran, naming two fields: Molyneux’s and Ormie’s Luck.
John died on 3 December 1992 at age 59, not long after his long time mining partner and brother-in-law, Neil Lohse had also passed away.
John Molyneux is buried at Lightning Ridge Cemetery.
Article: Research by Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: Lightning Ridge - The Home of the Black Opal: Unique to the World, Gan Bruce, 1983, p. 72; Lightning Flash Newspaper, 15 March 1979, 20 November 1986, 28 January 1993, 2 December 1993, 16 December 1993; A Journey With Colour: A History of Lightning Ridge Opal 1873-2003, Len Cram, 2003, pp. 203, 269.