NSW Governor Professor Marie Bashir, last week hosted a prestigious reception in Sydney for the Australian Opal Centre at Lightning Ridge.
The governor and her husband, Sir Nicholas Shehadie, welcomed 135 guests into the historic ballroom and gardens of Government House for an evening to honour the Australian Opal Centre and Black Opal, the gemstone emblem of NSW.
Guests mingled while enjoying drinks and canapés, pausing to enjoy an inspirational address by the governor.
Professor Bashir spoke passionately about Lightning Ridge and the Australian Opal Centre, emphasising its importance for students, scientists, the opal industry, tourism and outback communities.
In his reply to the governor, Kevin Humphries, Member for Barwon and Minister for Western NSW, said that “we must protect Lightning Ridge” as a special place with a unique opal mining industry and remarkable community.
Mr Humphries pledged his ongoing support for the town and the Australian Opal Centre project, saying that he had promoted opal, opal miners and the industry, and pushed for the continuation of opal mining and expansion of tourism facilities, both vital to the region’s future.
Australian Opal Centre president Vicki Bokros then thanked the governor, the minister and all in attendance.
“We have a 100-million-year old, uniquely Australian story to tell,” Vicki said.
“We have treasures of global scientific and heritage value: we have Opal, our National Gemstone and outback jewel; and Black Opal, the Gemstone Emblem of NSW.
“We have dinosaurs - in fact entire ancient ecosystems - preserved in opal - something found nowhere else on Earth.
“And after 40,000 years of Aboriginal occupation, and more than a century of multicultural mining history, the Australian opal fields live on, as enterprising as ever and unique in the world.
“These outstanding attributes have inspired world-renowned architects Glenn Murcutt and Wendy Lewin to produce a masterwork of leading-edge, sustainable, energy-efficient building design.
“The Australian Opal Centre is a project to share and to belong to - magnificent and enduring, now and into the distant future. We invite you to be part of this - something truly remarkable to treasure for the rest of your life and leave as a legacy for future generations,” Vicki concluded.
Opal industry representatives at the reception included miners, wholesalers, retailers and jewellery designers from three states and delegates from the Australian Opal Centre, Lightning Ridge Miners’ Association, Grawin Glengarry Sheepyard Miners’ Association, Queensland Boulder Opal Association and the Opal Association.
Others from Walgett Shire included mayor Bill Murray and his wife Annie; councillor Jane Keir; general manager Don Ramsland; directors of Walgett Shire Council and representatives of Lightning Ridge Tourism Association.
Guests were enthralled by a display of superb black opals, magnificent examples of light, crystal and boulder opal and a selection of opalised fossils from the collection of the Australian Opal Centre; opal glowed throughout the room on guests’ necks, wrists and fingers.
Terry Coldham, national president of the Gemmological Association of Australia and Peter Beever, president of the Jewellery Association of Australia were joined by Graham Peterson from the Opal and Gemstone Sector of the JAA, and Anthony Smallwood of the National Council of Jewellery Valuers. Meridee Cram, prestige award winner at the 2011 International Opal Jewellery Design Awards, wore a superb piece of her own creation, as did designer Linda Jackson.
Other industry luminaries included Peter Sherman, Damian Cody, Cameron Marks, Jerry Lomax, Max Lane and Paul Sedawie.
A 1:200 scale model of the proposed Australian Opal Centre building attracted great interest, with architects Glenn Murcutt and Wendy Lewin providing unique insights into the design during animated conversations with guests.
The model will have its first Lightning Ridge showing on the 20th of this month.
Graham Perry, CEO of the recently-formed Inland Tourism was among those impressed by the Australian Opal Centre project and its potential. Australian Opal Centre representatives were delighted to meet Mary Darwell, Executive Director of Arts NSW, which recently committed $107,040 towards the AOC building project under its 2012 Capital Infrastructure program.
The Royal Australian Institute of Architects was represented by Matthew Pullinger, president of the RAIA’s NSW chapter, while Kaye Herald and Jayne Paramour attended for the Australian Sustainable Building Council. Architects Angelo Candalepas and Neil Durbach were present, as was Richard Corkish, head of the school for photovoltaic and renewable energy engineering at the University of NSW.
Also among the guests were bestselling author Di Morrisey; vertebrate palaeontologists Professor Michael Archer and Henk Godthelp (University of NSW); writer Amruta Slee; director of the Australian Museum, Frank Howarth; John Walkom, chairman of Regional Development Australia Orana; broadcaster Alan Saunders; Sam Jeffries, chairman of Murdi Paaki Regional Council; legal practitioners Peter Jackson and David O’Donnell; opal enthusiast Graham Mitchell and Australian Opal Centre supporters Michael and Mary Easson and Shane Geha.
The event was wonderful success, celebrating the historic declaration of Black Opal as the Gemstone Emblem of NSW and generating enormous interest in the Australian Opal Centre and the rich potential of the Australian opal industry.
“We are honoured and encouraged by the Governor’s confidence in the project,” said Australian Opal Centre vice president Elizabeth Smith yesterday.
“The Governor’s goodwill and enthusiasm are a tremendous endorsement,” Elizabeth said.
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