Lightning Ridge

Featured view

Lightning Ridge

Total population

1,396

Elevation149 m

Coordinates-29.43°, 147.98°

Demographic figures from Australian Bureau of Statistics. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

City facts

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Lightning Ridge is a small outback town in northern New South Wales, Australia. Part of Walgett Shire, Lightning Ridge is situated near the southern border of Queensland, about 6 km (4 mi) east of the Castlereagh Highway. The Lightning Ridge area is a centre of the mining of black opal and other opal gemstones.

Geography

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Wildlife & biodiversity

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Earthquake history

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Nearby places in New South Wales

• Baradine
  123.5 mi away · pop. 586
• Burra Bee Dee
  148.1 mi away
• Washpen Flowout
  151.4 mi away
• Goolhi
  151.7 mi away
• Gowang
  152.8 mi away
• Warkton
  153.8 mi away
• Garrawilla
  156.1 mi away
• Deringulla
  157.5 mi away
• Long Ridge
  163 mi away
• Box Ridge
  167.9 mi away · pop. 48
• Binnaway
  168.8 mi away · pop. 399
• Taylors Crossing
  176.1 mi away

Browse all places in New South Wales →

Geography & sun

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Public attention

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about Lightning Ridge

The occurrence of opal at Lightning Ridge and Grawin, with geological notes on County Finch

New South Wales. Dept. of Mines · 1962

Lightning Ridge

Gan Bruce · 2002

Black opal fossils of Lightning Ridge

Elizabeth Smith · 1999

The occurrence of opal at Lightning Ridge and Grawin

J. W. Whiting · 1959

Pobby and Dingan

Ben Rice · 2000

The serpent's tale

Donald Kephri · 2002

Search results from Open Library.

Recently spotted species

Caper White

Belenois java

Seen 2026-04-20

Meadow Argus

Junonia villida

Seen 2026-04-20

Tawny Frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

Seen 2026-04-13

Green Tree Frog

Pelodryas caerulea

Seen 2026-03-30

Bunny Ears Cactus

Opuntia microdasys

Seen 2026-03-13

Galah

Eolophus roseicapilla

Seen 2026-03-13

Eastern Shingleback

Tiliqua rugosa aspera

Seen 2026-03-10

Eastern Grey Kangaroo

Macropus giganteus

Seen 2026-03-10

Apostlebird

Struthidea cinerea

Seen 2026-03-09

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Gallery

Geotagged photos within ~6 miles of Lightning Ridge, from Wikimedia Commons contributors.

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Photos via Wikimedia Commons — see each image page for license & attribution.