Sydney investment banker Peter Joseph, who successfully bidded for a rain gauge at auction to raise funds for drought-affected farmers, flew to the Ridge to pick it up on Tuesday.
The auction came about after local grazier Robert Turnbull decided he no longer had any use for it, as there was no rain with the drought.
Mr Turnbull had become somewhat of a regular on ABC Radio's Australia All Over to talk about the effects of the drought on farmers in the north west and decided he was going to auction it off on the program.
Australia All Over's presenter Ian McNamara (Macca) conducted the auction which sparked the interest of quite a few, but it was Peter Joseph who won the final bid.
Mr Joseph, who is a regular listener to the Australia All Over program said the $3000 rain gauge was the most expensive one he had ever bought.
"I was listening to Macca about a month ago and heard Robert saying he no longer needed his rain gauge due to the terrible drought conditions," he said.
"I've always loved the bush, having mostly grown up in Toowoomba, but I've also travelled the country a fair bit."
But it was Mr Joseph's involvement with the Challenger Goldmine located at the edge of the Great Victorian Desert, about 200km north west of Woomera in South Australia, which made him decide he could put this rain gauge to good use.
"We're opening up the mine in December and during my travels across western NSW I actually began to see how bad the country really was, and thought well maybe I could provide some relief for the farmers," he said.
Mr Joseph said he would place the rain gauge outside his mine with a plaque to mark it.
"I thought it (the gauge) would be good to protect my investment because out there, there is nothing else but dust too."
Mr Turnbull said the $3000 made on his rain gauge would go to Bush Church Aid, an Anglican organisation that provides relief and support to rural areas.
Both Macca and former Olympic swimmer John Konrads accompanied Peter Joseph to Lightning Ridge where the presentation of the rain gauge took place.
Upon hearing the struggles of Mr Turnbull, local Aboriginal elders Roy and June Barker decided they would try and support the drought affected farmers in the area too and have since donated some Aboriginal artifacts to be auctioned off in Sydney.
The proceeds from these will also go to Bush Church Aid to provide further assistance in supplying stock feed to farmers across the State.
June Barker said she had engraved on the boomerangs "The farmers of Lightning Ridge, we will come back like this boomerang when the rain comes".
Mrs Barker said she had known Robert and his family for a long time and wanted to help him in a time of need.
Macca said he planned to return to Lightning Ridge before the end of the year to do a live broadcast of Australia All Over.
Bush Church Aid had its first hay bale drop-off in the Ridge area about a month ago after local Anglican pastor Rick Maude put Robert Turnbull in contact with the organisation.
Since then nearly half a dozen drop-offs of fodder, including hay, molasses and cotton seed have been made in the Ridge.
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