District Council of Coober Pedy

Town EntranceCoober Pedy is an opal mining town located in the Outback of South Australia and is recognised as the largest producer of opal in the world. It is situated within the erosional scarp of the Stuart Range which is generally stony and treeless. The town is surrounded by a moonscape like landscape dotted by shafts and mullock heaps from opal mining activities.

Opal was first discovered by Willie Hutchison in 1915.  Following this discovery settlement began and has subsequently developed into the modern town of Coober Pedy. By 1916 more opal miners settled and after World War 1 returning soldiers started to drift here and introduced the unusual and unique method of living underground in 'dugouts'. The first opal claim was pegged on the 9th February 1915.

Living conditions were harsh and the environment did not lend itself to easy living. Water and provisions had to be carted great distances and under very trying circumstances Even with the introduction of very large underground water tanks things improved only marginally, the entitlement of water being only 24 gallons per week.

Investigator DrillThe mining industry at Coober Pedy expanded rapidly during the 1960's.  Many European migrants arriving in Australia made their way here to make their fortunes. Today it lays claim to being one of the most ethnic communities in South Australia, indeed Australia, with approximately 45 nationalities being represented was well as a large percentage of Aboriginal people.

Coober Pedy, together with Andamooka and Mintabie, produces over 90% in quantity of the world's opal. During the 60's and 70's opal mining developed as a multi million dollar industry.

Coober Pedy today

Coober Pedy to the ordinary Australian represents opal, underground living, life in a harsh environment, minimal government restrictions, unique landscape, isolation and tourism.

The township of Coober Pedy has underground churches, shops, motels and a hotels, as well as caravan and camping areas. The National Award winning Desert Cave is a prominent feature in Coober Pedy's main street. Many of the locals (about 50%) prefer to live underground in dugouts where it is cool in summer and warm in winter; several dugouts and mines are open for inspection.

Coober Pedy has an area school that caters for children from pre-school to Year 13. There are many sporting clubs to cater for the many differing interests including swimming, badminton, basketball, football, cricket, 8-ball, soccer, motor club, rifle club and netball. There is also an RSL Club, Lions Club, Italian Club, Croatian Club, Greek Club, and Serbian Club/Hall.

Coober Pedy has four resident doctors and a very modern 40 bed hospital, The Royal Flying Doctor Service is on call for emergencies.

Opal workings now extend for nearly 40 kilometres around the township and local tours are available. Once off the bitumen, roads are rough and dusty, often impassable after heavy rain.

Isolation

Coober Pedy is situated 845 kilometres north of Adelaide and 680 kilometres south of Alice Springs.  Prior to 1987 when the Stuart Highway was completely bituminised, Coober Pedy was serviced by small planes or long horrendous trips up and down the old dirt road.  Today Regional Express Airlines operate a daily service from Adelaide, Aboriginal Air Service operate a service 3 days per week from Alice Springs and Ayers Rock/Uluru, Greyhound Coaches operate a service from Adelaide to Alice Springs via Coober Pedy or one can drive for approximately 10 hours from Adelaide or 8 hours from Alice Springs on the new highway to experience our cosmopolitan community and its unique way of life.

Climate

Between April and October the weather is very pleasant, typical of a semi desert climate, sunny days but cold desert nights. From November to March the weather warms up and temperatures during summer range from 35 degrees Celsius to 48 degrees Celsius in the shade. The annual rainfall in this area is minimal at around 175 mm (5 inches) per annum.

Geography

The BreakawaysCoober Pedy is situated on the edge of the Stuart Range on beds of sand and silt stone 100 feet thick topped with a stony desert that is nearly treeless. Very little plant life exists due to low rainfall. The sandstone makes it very difficult to grow any significant vegetation.

The town now has an excellent water supply but due to the high cost of water and the problem of very little top soil, the town is devoid of grassed areas except the town oval & school oval.  Water costs are approximately $3.80 per 1000 litres. With some determination residents are able to grow trees and shrubs utilising town water and treated waste water.

Nearby are some stunning natural landscapes such as the Breakaways and the Moon Plain, both of which have featured in a number of movies such as Mad Max III, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Ground Zero, Stark and Salute of the Jugger.

Native Wildlife

The main native wildlife found around the Coober Pedy area are kangaroos, wallabies and emus. There are sand goannas, bearded dragons, geckos and perentie lizards. Dingoes are found outside the dog fence. There are about 28 varieties of bird life such as eagles, bustards or bush turkeys, budgerigars, galahs, parrots and finches to name a few. Some pelicans and black swans can be found on nearby lakes after rain.

Population

Coober Pedy's population is principally European and Anglo Australian. A high proportion of Coober Pedy's population were born overseas, migrating here after World War 2 from southern and Eastern Europe. The District Council of Coober Pedy estimates the population to be approximately 3,500 and consisting of over around 50 different nationalities.

Aboriginal population

Approximately 400 Aboriginal people live in Coober Pedy with approximately 100 under 18 years of age. The aboriginal people living in Coober Pedy originated from the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunjatjara Lands (north-west of Coober Pedy), Alice Springs, Oodnadatta, Port Augusta and Ceduna. Their group is known as the Antakarinja people.

Overseas born and their families (approximately 60% of the population)

There are more than 50 nationalities represented on the opal fields and whilst many of the children of the people in this category are Australian born, there is a strong adherence to their cultural backgrounds, norms, values and expectations. Predominant nationalities are Greek, Italian, Serbian, Filipino and German. Other nationalities include Swedish, Swiss, English, Columbian, American, Czech, Chinese, Albanian, Chilean and Iranian just to name a few.

Industry and Income

At present there are five main industries in the Coober Pedy area:

The majority of the population are dependent on the opal mining and tourism industries.

Coober Pedy is quickly becoming the regional service centre of Outback South Australia, being the focus for essential services such as medical, health, welfare, law and order and education.


The tourist industry is seasonal. The sealing of the Stuart Highway in 1987 caused a significant increase in tourism and related activities. Opal mining is a gamble and without luck, it is possible for a miner to go for months, sometimes more, without an income from opal mining. Fortunately with the increase in demands caused by the tourism industry, additional employment may be available to supplement the income.

Opal

Opal is a form of silica, chemically similar to quartz, but containing water within the molecular structure. Precious opal generally contains from 6-10% water and consists of small silica spheres arranged in a regular pattern. Opal occurs in two varieties, precious opal and common opal (also known as potch)

Colour in precious opal is caused by the regular array of silica spheres diffracting white light and breaking it up into the various colours of the spectrum. The diameter and spacing of the spheres controls the colour rang.

Opal colours also depend on the angle of light incidence and can change or disappear when the gem is rotated.

In common opal or potch, the silica spheres are irregular in shape and molecular structure and accordingly white light is unable to be diffracted and consequently there is no colour. It is estimated that 90% of all opal found is common opal or potch.

Attempts have been made to establish guidelines for determining opal prices but they have been largely unsuccessful because of the gem's infinite variation in colour and pattern.

The main factors influencing the price paid for opal are:

The 'Olympic Australis' from Coober Pedy is said to be the world's largest piece of uncut precious opal and weighs 3.5 kilograms. Its name comes from the fact the piece was found in 1956, the year the Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, Australia

There is a marked difference between the value of uncut opal compared with the value of cut and polished stones. Opals may be cut and polished in a number of ways, depending on the nature and thickness of the colour band.

Solid (Cabochon)

Refers to all opals that naturally occur in one piece having been cut and polished from rough opal.

Doublet

A thin veneer of opal may show enhanced colour with a dark backing. This is achieved by cementing either black or grey silica material, glass or a thin slice of common opal to the back of the opal with an epoxy resin.

Triplet

To protect the opal from abrasion, a slice of quartz crystal may be used to cap the thin opal veneer producing a three-tiered gemstone known as a triplet. This type of gem can display brilliant colours. It is a cheaper method of presentation and can enhance the appearance of the opal.

Mining Opal

Miners, with a Precious Stones Prospecting Permit, can peg a claim either 50m x 50m or 50m x 100m to mine for opal.

The earlier form of mining was by sinking or digging a shaft with a pick and shovel. Driving or tunnelling along the level was then carried out with picks and shovels. When traces of opal are found a handpick or screwdriver is used.

Nowadays most if not all prospecting shafts are made by using a Calweld-type drill which are used to excavate holes about one metre in diameter using an auger bucket The drills can dig to a maximum depth of about 28 to-30 metres and the opal fields are pitted with thousands of abandoned Calweld shafts.

Waste material or mullock, from the shafts and drives, was originally lifted to the surface by hand windlass, later being replaced by power winches (Yorke hoists) or automatic bucket tippers. Today truck-mounted blowers, which operate like vacuum cleaners, are more commonly used for bringing mullock to the surface.

Since the 1970's, there has been a rapid increase in the use of mining machines. Tunnelling machines with revolving cutting heads and small underground front-end loaders, called boggers, have been introduced.

Bulldozers are employed to remove overburden and expose the level where it is shallow. Spotters follow behind watching for opal and the seam is then worked over by handpick. 

Noodling 

This is the process of searching through heaps of discarded mullock for pieces of opal missed by the miners. Many locals make a living off this method and it is popular with tourists. Permission must be obtained from the claim owner to fossick on his/her claim. The most productive heaps are those excavated by bulldozers where opal may have been crushed or overlooked by careless operators. Noodling machines, in which mullock is passed through a darkroom on a conveyor belt beneath ultra violet lights are also used, and this is another form of mining. Great care must be taken on the opal fields due to the thousands of open shafts.

Underground Homes (Dugouts)

Opal was first discovered in the area that is now known as Coober Pedy in 1915.  The original opal deposits were found on the surface or very near to it so mining was not a too difficult task.

Nevertheless as the opal seams were discovered deeper and deeper the miners soon found that the temperatures underground were very pleasant, particularly during the heat of the summer and cold of the winter.  It was not long before the miners decided to camp underground in their mines.  These original basic dwellings have now developed to a point where luxurious underground homes, known as dugouts, have been planned and built.

The ground out of which these underground homes are excavated is known as sandstone.  It is a sedimentary ground put down by the ocean that covered Australia approximately 150 million years ago.  The sandstone has a consistency similar to that of chalk.

Town planning in the early days of Coober Pedy was lacking and accordingly development in the town was very disorganised.  However these planning problems have been corrected and now the whole town area of Coober Pedy has been surveyed and divided up into building blocks or allotments, all numbered with roads and streets being named.  The blocks of land were originally owned by the Government but over the years freehold ownership has superseded this.  Today land is held by freehold ownership, leasehold ownership or if outside the town area by annual lease.

To commence building a dugout one has to acquire a suitable block of land.  All dugouts are excavated from the inside of a natural hill so the block must contain at least part of a natural hill.  Once the block of land has been purchased, these days for around $12,000, the owner will get a bulldozer to come in and cut away the lower part of the hill to expose a vertical 'face'.

The owner of the land is able to design the floor plan of the dugout according to the amount of land he has available.  No 2 dugouts in Coober Pedy are the same.  To commence digging the owner will contract the tunnelling work to either a miner or contractor with a tunnelling machine.  This machine is similar in size to a bobcat but it has an arm at the front with a rotating cutting heading which moves up and down digging out ground.  The excavated area is similar in size to a normal passageway in a house.

The cost to excavate a dugout can vary from between $20,000 to $60,000 depending on the area to be excavated.  Once completely excavated, the next job is to install plumbing pipes, electrical wiring and then put down a cement floor which is later carpeted or tiled.  In dugouts you will always find the 'wet areas' (bathrooms, laundries, toilets and kitchens) at the front of the development to allow for ease of disposal of waste water and sewerage (by gravity feed).

Dividing walls in dugouts are much thicker than a normal aboveground house and this is necessary to provide support pillars between the rooms.  These pillars are usually at least a metre thick or more.

Lighting is either by natural or artificial lights with air circulation provided by installing air shafts throughout the dugout.  This will cause a natural circulation of air; warm air rises out through the shafts facilitating a constant flow of fresh air.

Families living in underground homes have all the modern conveniences of normal houses as well as not requiring air-conditioners or heaters.  We have telephones (land-based and mobile), television and radio.  We are not isolated from the outside world at all.

Council rates are levied against all residences in Coober Pedy based upon their value.  The average value of an underground home these days is between $60,000 to $180,000, which is quite affordable when you consider most are very large homes.

Coober Pedy is a most unique and interesting place to visit and the underground style of living, shopping, worshipping and dining contributes greatly to that uniqueness.