Tom Urwin

Tom Urwin. Photograph courtesy of Betty Bruce.

Tom Urwin (sometimes spelled "Irwin") was born on 29 December 1871 at Boggabilla, NSW. Tom married Minnie Brown, sister of Snowy Brown, on 17 November 1912 in Lightning Ridge.

Tom Urwin mined for opal with Snowy Brown, and together they found a number of significant stones, including Pride of Australia, Flamingo, Empress of Australia and The Black Prince.

When Tom Urwin wasn't opal mining, he was helping build proper structures in New Town:

  • St George's Anglican Church in 1912

  • Public School in 1912

  • Matrimonial home in 1912

  • Second Post Office in 1914

  • Nygah's Store in 1914 (taken over as Urwin's Store in 1918)

  • The Bush Nurse Association in 1915

  • Police Station in 1916 (next to the Store).

Five buildings still stand.

Tom Urwin (centre of crowd and enlarged in inset) during Governor Phillip Game’s visit to Lightning Ridge in 1934.

Tom Urwin passed away on 3 April 1942 in Lightning Ridge, and is buried at Lightning Ridge Cemetery.

Tom Urwin’s signature sourced from a letter protesting the relocation of residents from Old Town and The Flat to the surveyed town, 7 February 1912.

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, pp. 46, 54, 65, 71, 72, 140, 164, 167, 170; The Lightning Ridge Book, Stuart Lloyd, 1967, p. 140; Walgett Spectator, 25 February 1926, 6 June 1929; A Journey With Colour: A History of Lightning Ridge Opal 1873-2003, Len Cram, 2003, p. 175.