“Old Black Joe” Gibbons
An illustration of “Old Black Joe” peering through a freshly broken-through wall in an opal mine. The image accompanies an excerpt from Ion Idriess’s Lightning Ridge in The World’s News, Sydney, 3 May 1941.
Joe Gibbons, known as “Old Black Joe” was a shearer’s cook and opal miner in the early days of Lightning Ridge, who featured as a character in Ion Idriess’s Lightning Ridge, published in 1940.
Idriess describes Joe as a short, squat, wrinkly-eyed old man, who had been a renowned prize-fighter in his prime.
Joe was born in England in 1839 to Jeremiah and Sarah Gibbons, as per his U.S. Navy Enlistment Records. Joe found his way to the United States, where he served in the navy during the American Civil War.
Historical Society researchers have been guided by Brisbane’s Civil War researcher James Gray, Commander of William Kenyon Australasian Confederates Camp 2160, Australia – New Zealand to discover just who “Old Black Joe” really was.
Many records describe Joe Gibbons as an African-American man (or words to that effect), however based on his parents and place of birth that seems unlikely. His British father was employed by the East India Company, where his brother also held a prominent position. Therefore, one can assume Joe was of Indian decent; his mother probably born in India.
“12 years with Royal Navy. Had a good voice, and was an impressive artist. A good pugilist, but a quiet man. “Had I been trained I’d have beaten Jack Johnson”. Worked with I. Idriess and other partners. “A gentleman”.”
Joe Gibbons was issued a miner’s right in 1909 as per the Angledool court house register, and based on Idriess’s tales, was an eager miner.
As well as an opal miner and pugilist, Gibbons was an artist and shearer’s cook. Well remembered was the tasty stew “Old Black Joe” prepared – one pot-scraped-clean revealed his smoking pipe at the bottom!
“Black Joe Gibbons was an American Negro, “a bloody champion fighter. he could have been a contender had the bugger trained.””
Joe Gibbons passed away on 17 July 1931 at the age of either 80, 91 or 100, depending on who you ask. His graveside service was well attended and a number of wreaths were placed.
“Old Black Joe” Gibbons’ grave at the Lightning Ridge Cemetery has been marked with a bronze plaque honouring his service during the American Civil War, the only Civil War veteran to be buried at Lightning Ridge.
Joseph Gibbons' signature, sourced from the 1929 petition for a public park at Lightning Ridge.
Article: Edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: Walgett Spectator, 28 July 1931; ‘The Philosophy of Lightning Ridge: In a World Apart’, Daily Telegraph, 23 March 1933, pp. 6; Lightning Ridge: The Land of Black Opals, Ion L. Idriess, 1940, chapters XXXIII, XIV; ‘Lightning Ridge’, The World’s News, 3 May 1941, p. 15; The Lightning Ridge Book, Stuart Lloyd, 1967, p. 34; Lightning Ridge - The Home of the Black Opal: Unique to the World, Gan Bruce, 1983, pp. 83-84; A Journey With Colour: A History of Lightning Ridge Opal 1873-2003, Len Cram, 2003, p. 164.