Mr Merret said the Opal Collection was created as a tribute to the men and women who lived, worked and played in the harsh environment to bring to the world the beauty of the black opal.

"The sculptures have been created from old car bodies, rusty fencing wire, old water pipes and any discarded steel found suitable for a particular sculpture put together using an arc welder," he said.

Mr Merret said the display would not have been possible without the advice and support of Peter Waterford and Tina Gibson.

"Peter has bought the entire collection to be held on display. A number of the scultptures have already been sold and are in collections as far away as Canada, Hong Kong and the Middle East, these sculptures have been replicated as will any sold from the Opal Collection being exhibited here now in order to keep the collection compete," he said.

Mr Merret said he had been working on the collection for the past three and a half years while completing other commissioned works.

"I've been scultpting on and off for 20 years ... I do all my work about 150 yards from where the exhibition was held, I have three wilga trees and I do all my welding under those," he said.

Mr Merret first came to Lightning Ridge in 1963 but left and returned eight years ago and has spent a large part of his life out on the mine field.