Welcome! Forty feet underground , images carved and painted in the sandstone walls and pillars. This is your chance to tour this claim which has been worked since the early days of opal mining in The Ridge.
Chambers of the Black Hand has the only opal shop underground. As opal is Australia’s national gemstone, don’t miss out on this great experience. Our map location in Lightning Ridge, NSW is on the 3 Mile Road, 5klms up opposite yellow car door 7.
Expect to see.. Native animals, Lord of the Rings characters, biblical entities and dinosaurs like you have never seen them before. Carved on the wall of an opal cave, these captivating images have been created by local opal miner Ron Canlin. Ron has transformed a number of drives (tunnels) of an old opal mine into an interactive work of art. Countless carvings are set in sandstone on the walls.
You’ll be amazed… The Egyptian chamber has humorous hieroglyphics and is a replica of an Egyptian tomb. Atlas holds the world while Adam supports the roof of the entrance to the working mine – another feature of the tour. The Last Supper which took six months to complete and the pondering Nostradamus, which took five hours to carve, are depicted in magnificent detail and is testimony to the razor sharp skill and patience of Ron.
It has taken the miner 18 years to complete the carvings so far and the evolving process will see even more sculptures and chambers added to the tour. The mine was converted into a privately managed tourist attraction which offers guided tours, interactive display and underground shop.
Chambers of the Black Hand is a local business managed by local people showcasing the best Lighting Ridge has to offer. This place is remarkable, and symbolises the crazy and creative sides of the Ridge. Artist and miner Ron Canlin has turned a 40ft-deep mining claim into a cavernous gallery of carvings and paintings: superheroes, celebrities, pharaohs, Buddhas, animals, you name it. Call to confirm tour times; courtesy-bus pickup from your accommodation is offered.
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