First Generation

Marijan Babic (also known as Maurice) is an opal miner of Croatian origin who was born in 1939. He has been mining in Lightning Ridge for over 53 years since his first arrival in 1968. Maurice’s passion for opal mining did not happen instantly, but it was his curiosity that led him to Lightning Ridge – a place he now calls home. During his extensive time in Lightning Ridge, Maurice experienced the excitement of opal mining first-hand in the late 60s and was also there to witness the significant changes that occurred in the opal mining industry since then.