Johnny “Jack” Boules

John William Boules, known as “Jack” or “Catalina Jack,” was an early Lightning Ridge miner. Born in 1885 to George Boules and Isabel Edgar, he was likely raised on Llanillo Station, where his father worked from the 1870s. In 1912, Jack married Ellen Jessie Roself Brown, sister of fellow miner Ted “Snowy” Brown, and they had two children, George Jr. and Nell.

He was a frequent customer at Regan’s Store between 1912 and 1921. Boules first lived in Harlequin Street near the New Town Field, and later in a house built by Tom Urwin on what would become the site of Michael’s Nursery.

Boules had a mining accident in early 1913.

Boules is best known for finding the famous Butterfly or Red Admiral stone, a 30 carat gem resembling a butterfly in shape and pattern. Found around 1914, the stone eventually sold for £96, an impressive sum at the time.

Jack Boules owned a car in the 1930s, running a taxi service to Walgett. In 1934, he signed a contract to help rebuild St. George’s Anglican Church. He was also the first mining partner of Jack “The Hornet” Franklin.

Jack Boules died on 3 June 1953 and is buried at Lightning Ridge Cemetery.

• Johnny “Jack” Boules @ Find a Grave.

Article: Research by Leisa Carney, edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: The Lightning Ridge Book, Stuart Lloyd, 1967, p. 33; Lightning Ridge - The Home of the Black Opal: Unique to the World, Gan Bruce, 1983, pp. 65, 169; Walgett Spectator, 11 November 1913.