Australian Opal Centre

20/03/2026

We want to clarify a few important points about the Australian Opal Centre in response to recent media coverage and social media response.

Our latest audited financial report reflects known challenges, including a funding gap to complete our new building. The Australian Opal Centre is not in financial collapse, and the auditor has not stated that the new AOC may not be completed.

After more than 20 years building the AOC into a nationally significant scientific, cultural and tourism organisation, we are very close to completing its new home — the collective achievement of thousands of people and our government funding partners.

Construction is over 80 per cent complete. Work is currently paused while we secure the remaining funding needed to complete and open the facility. No cover-ups. No rorts. No mishandling of funds. Just a lot of hard work and a lot more still to come.

We continue to deliver vibrant high-quality programs, care for an important collection, advance research, and share knowledge and inspiration about opal, opalised fossils, and the people, places and culture of Australian opal.

We are continuing discussions with government, philanthropic and industry partners, and welcome conversations with others who may be interested in supporting completion of this nationally significant project.

The support of our thousands of members, Founders, board members, donors, volunteers, government and non-government partners, audiences, participants, visitors and the wider community is deeply appreciated. Updates will be shared as progress continues and in the meantime, your support — through visits, memberships, donations and participation in our programs — helps sustain our important work. Thank you!

10/02/2026

We’re delighted to announce that the Australian Opal Centre’s Australian Opal Tour returns 22 September 2026.

Join a 9‑day charter flight adventure to some of Australia’s most iconic opal fields — an unforgettable tour designed for serious opal enthusiasts, collectors, gemmologists and adventurers. After a breathtaking tour in 2024, we’re excited to be back in the air and adding Andamooka to the itinerary!

Places are strictly limited by aircraft seating.

Itinerary and details are available now — click https://bit.ly/4bAazFw to learn more or secure your place.

The AOC’s epic 2026 Australian Opal Tour is designed for those with a thirst for first-hand knowledge of Australian opal, its places and people — providing a unique opportunity to experience Australian opal and opal fields in three states, over nine days. See spectacular black opal in New South ...

25/01/2026

New year, new faces! 🎉🌟

At the AOC's Annual General Meeting of 27 November 2025, members of Australian Opal Centre Ltd elected a new Board. We thank the outgoing Directors for their service, and are pleased to introduce the new Board, led by Chair David Lane OAM.

The Board is meeting frequently and working with energy and focus. The Directors recognise the enormous community effort behind the Australian Opal Centre, the significant progress already achieved, and the very real challenges that come with delivering a major cultural and capital project in a complex environment.

As a volunteer Board, the Directors are fully committed to the Centre, its members, supporters, funding partners and community, and to ensuring the long-term success of this nationally significant institution.

The Board's current priorities include:

• Preparing clear, accurate and transparent reporting on the Centre’s financial position, both day-to-day operations and the AOC building project
• Strengthening governance and management foundations to support confident decision-making
• Actively exploring and negotiating practical solutions that will secure the Centre’s immediate stability and its long-term future

You can meet the new Directors at
www.australianopalcentre.com/the-australian-opal-centre-team

We understand there has been frustration about delays to the building project. Delivering a project of this scale inevitably brings unforeseen challenges.

The Board’s focus is firmly on clarity, momentum and achievable next steps. Important and commercially sensitive discussions are underway, and while we can’t yet share details, we can assure you they are being handled with urgency and care.

A dedicated Fundraising Committee has been established and is enthusiastically exploring initiatives to help generate the funding needed to ensure the AOC's important work and programs continue to flourish and grow, and to complete the new Australian Opal Centre.

We warmly invite members and supporters to share fundraising ideas, partnership opportunities or offers of assistance - your ideas and involvement matter.

Periods of change and uncertainty are never easy, and we sincerely thank the AOC's incredible community of supporters for their patience, trust and ongoing support. 🙏👏

We look forward to providing you with updates and news throughout 2026!

19/11/2025

What a great morning! 🙌
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us for a tour inside the new Australian Opal Centre last Thursday. It was fantastic to share the progress and provide some behind-the-scenes insights.

Big thanks to Barpa for opening the site and ensuring everything ran so smoothly.

Missed out? Enjoy the snaps below, take a virtual tour here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUr84-sAgrY — and if you're keen for the next tour, let us know!

11/11/2025

Exciting news! We’re offering a special chance to step inside the new Australian Opal Centre tomorrow morning, 13 November 2025!

It’s short notice - we’ve only just been able to arrange visitor access - but if you’re in Lightning Ridge, come along for a behind-the-scenes look at the amazing progress so far. Feel free to share this notice with others in the community!

✨ FREE 40-minute tours - but bookings are essential for safety reasons
👉 Click the link to book your spot at 8:15am, 9:15am, 10:15am, or 11:15am

Huge thanks to Barpa, our head contractor, for making this possible.

Can’t make it? We’ll share photos afterwards — or check out this video tour from Curiosity Mine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUr84-sAgrY.

👉 Don't worry if you miss out this time - we'll do this again! If you’d like advance notice of the next tour, let us know in the comments or send us a message.

Get tickets on Humanitix - Community Open Day inside the new AOC hosted by Australian Opal Centre. AOC construction site, Three Mile Rd, Lightning Ridge NSW 2834, Australia. Dates from Thursday 13th November 2025. Find event information.

08/11/2025

David Littleproud, Leader of the Nationals, is advocating for the final funding needed to complete the new Australian Opal Centre.

"After a significant investment already, why stop? Get it done," he said.

“For the want of a few million dollars, this transformative project powered by 27 years of outstanding community effort — and $30 million in co-investment by government and community — is sitting stranded, poised on the brink of greatness. The hardest work is already done; we just need someone — a visionary government or philanthropist — to take this last step with us," said Carolyn Childs, Director of Australian Opal Centre Ltd.

Mr Littleproud said that in his seat of Maranoa in regional Queensland, had it not been for investment in projects that boost regional tourism - which include the Age of Dinosaurs at Winton, Eromanga Natural History Museum, and Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach - "those towns in the drought would have been finished."

He said diversifying the economic base of regional communities is vital.

"And these sorts of investments are not big in the scheme of what federal governments spend to actually diversify the economic base," he said.

Business modelling of the new AOC - confirmed by extensive independent checking - shows that once it's open and operating, the new AOC will be financially self-supporting and will massively amplify the economic, cultural and scientific benefits already being delivered by the AOC.

The Australian Opal Centre thanks Mr Littleproud for his support, and acknowledges the many donors, funding partners and skilled individuals who've brought the AOC so far - AOC Members and Founders, government funding partners, elected representatives, supporting organisations, committee and board members, consultants, advisors, volunteers and donors of all amounts. Every person and every dollar has made a difference.

We remain determined to complete and open this nationally significant cultural tourism facility, so it can deliver its long-awaited economic and cultural benefits to the region and the nation - and take 27 years of collective effort and achievement to even greater heights.

New pictures reveal stalled project in construction.

25/07/2025

Believe it or not, the first 12-metre-high wall panel for the new AOC was lifted into place just 12 months ago, in July 2024.

This footage by Curiosity Mine, filmed in April 2025, captures the remarkable progress — from early scenes when the building was little more than a concept and a hole in the ground, to the stunning internal spaces now taking shape.

While construction is currently on hold, our commitment to delivering a nationally and internationally significant new home for the Australian Opal Centre is still very much alive. With one final tranche of funding, we’ll be able to complete what so many have worked so hard to bring to life.

Enjoy this preview of the beautiful light and vast spaces inside the new AOC.

The Australian Opal Centre's new world-class museum building on the historic Three Mile opal field is looking amazing -- in this video we take a tour of the ...

24/07/2025

UPDATE ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE NEW AUSTRALIAN OPAL CENTRE BUILDING - 24 July 2025

Australian Opal Centre stakeholders and Lightning Ridge residents may have noticed or heard that construction of the new Australian Opal Centre at Three Mile opal field, Lightning Ridge has been paused.

This pause on works is a strategic decision taken by the Board of Australian Opal Centre Ltd while it resolves funding challenges that have arisen post the commencement of building works in August 2023. Like many other major projects in Australia, we have faced escalating costs due to factors that are beyond our control, and these have been exacerbated by the challenges of building in a remote area.

These challenges have been partially alleviated by the important support of the NSW Government in awarding the project an additional $1m in grant funding in the June 2025 budget. But they have not been fully resolved.

Significant progress has been made towards completion of the building, and we are close to realising our long-held vision. As such the decision to pause was not taken lightly but reflected a need to ensure the AOC can fully meet its contractual and fiduciary commitments, remain solvent and finish construction efficiently.

The Board is continuing to pursue discussions with potential funding partners and is exploring new funding approaches to permanently resolve these issues. The commercial-in confidence nature of these discussions means that we cannot be more specific at this time.

On a positive note, a recent independent review of the modelling that underpins the AOC’s business case has again endorsed the financial viability of the AOC’s business model for the new centre. To implement it, we need to resolve the current funding issues to complete construction.

We are committed to delivering a world-class centre for all things opal, for the people of Lightning Ridge, Walgett Shire, Australia, the worldwide opal community and others who will benefit from the AOC's programs. We thank our funding partners, head contractor and project team, and ask for your continued support in helping us to achieve this. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Chair [email protected] or Jenni Brammall [email protected].

Photo: the new Australian Opal Centre building in progress.

29/05/2025

Over the past six months, upon taking on the role of Museum Director/CEO, I am grateful to have been warmly welcomed by Lightning Ridge and the Australian Opal Centre community. However, it is with great regret that I announce my resignation; I will step away from the role on Friday 4 July. I always knew that managing the travel, working hybrid from my home on the mid north coast would be tricky, but the personal toll has been greater than expected. This decision was made in the best interest of my personal health and well-being. I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement of the AOCL Board and the AOC team. I wish the organisation the very best and I will be watching from the side lines, cheering on the Australian Opal Centre, as it opens to what I know will be great success.
Regards, Michelle Smith

27/05/2025

Excited for the new AOC to be named by the Age and Sydney Morning Herald in this prestigious list of 10 stunning new buildings set to open in 2025. The article is behind a paywall but if you are able, enjoy this story about amazing architectural wonders due to open this year!

Some of the world’s impressive new structures are set to open this year.

25/05/2025

Smiles all around from students Kiara, Michael, Donna, Peter and Archit, instructor Sally Lyon and assistant Cameron, on successfully completing the 2-day GAA Introduction to Gems & Gemmology course at Lightning Ridge on 24 - 25 May 2025, run by the GAA - Gemmological Association of Australia, and hosted and supported by the Australian Opal Centre.

Sally said the students gave gold star performances!🌟🌟🌟

The next GAA Introduction to Gems & Gemmology course at Lightning Ridge will likely be in May 2026. Contact the AOC if you'd like to be notified when the dates are announced, or if you can't wait until then, reach out to your state's division of the GAA to find out when and where courses are available.

24/05/2025

Congratulations to the graduates of the AOC's May 2025 Fundamentals of Opal Carving course - B'anka, Darren, Neroli, Alex, Susan, Pat, Juanita and Kelly (who missed the class photos after completing two beautiful carvings) - and to instructor Sally Lyon (second from left), on a fantastic course last week! 🌟 We'll share more photos soon.

The AOC's Fundamentals of Opal Carving course was developed and taught by Daniela L'Abbate in 2016, then taught and developed further by Daniela's student Andrew Kemeny in 2017 - 2024, and is now being taught by Andrew's student Sally Lyon. Sally also teaches for the Gemmological Association of Australia's Queensland Division.

Every year, teachers and students enrich the course by sharing skills, tools, tips, tricks, life stories and a love for opal!

If you'd like to join the waiting list for our next Fundamentals of Opal Carving course, drop us a note via Messenger or contact us through the AOC web site.