A meeting was held on Wednesday last week at the Walgett Shire Council chambers when Mike Archer, his offsider from the Australian Museum and David Ellis of the NSW Ministry of Arts flew in from Sydney.

Also on board the charter aircraft from Dubbo was a party from Wellington.

The caves are an important part of the proposed Fossil Trail, which will bring travellers northwest from the Australian Museum in Sydney to the Ages of Fishes in Canowindra and to Bathurst's new complex to be opened in June next year.

The latter will house the well-known Warren Summerville international collection of fossils and minerals.

The local Opal and Fossil Centre committee, mayor Peter Waterford, the shire's general manager Vic North, and services management group manager Jo Wooldridge, entered into discussion with the visiting team.

Temporary facilities here and at Wellington will be established next year. This will put the NSW Fossil Trail on the map for promotion on a state, national and international level.

Project manager of the Opal and Fossil Centre, Richard Wesley, will visit the Ridge next month to advise the committee of the process of formulating a prospectus for attracting funding for the construction of a permanent centre.

The Lightning Ridge Opal and Fossil Centre will be an icon in its own right.

In the meantime, stage one will house a display relating to our district from the Australian Museum.

This presence promises to generate local as well as outside interest, and will ensure our significant role in the trail of fossils in NSW, a positive asset as we look forward to better times in the future.

secretary,

< p>Opal and Fossil Centre Committee.