Queensland produces boulder opal, an unique type of opal which is found attached to a host rock, ironstone. Boulder opal is unique to Queensland, and occurs in deposits in weathered sedimentary Cretaceous rocks in the west of the state.
Much opal mining in Queensland is carried out in 'open cut' mining operations, which is vastly different to shaft mining.
The Queensland opal fields are within a belt of deeply weathered Cretaceous sedimentary rocks known as the Winton Formation, which extends in a north-westerly direction from the New South Wales border at Hungerford stretching west of Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Longreach and Winton to Kynuna, a distance of about 1000 km.
Queensland's opal mining fields are located in the west and southwest of the State, and include:
Yowah Field - the southernmost field centred on the small town of Yowah—includes Black Gate)
Koroit field (north-east of Yowah)
Toompine field (east and south-east of Toompine—includes Lushingtons, Coparella, Duck Creek, Sheep Station Creek and Emu Creek)
Quilpie field (west and north north-west of Quilpie—includes some of the more productive mines in recent times—Pinkilla, Bull Creek, Harlequin, and probably the most famous of all, the Hayricks.
Looking for colour? In these parts there's plenty of it, to be found both in the stories relating to the early settlement of the region and also that 'colour' which is sought from beneath the surface of the bush earth. Quilpie is best known as an opal town. It is often referred to as the home of the 'Boulder Opal' as the area is the largest producer of this type of opal in the world.
Try your hand at opal fossicking while you’re in Quilpie.