White Man in a Hole by Rena Briand

Incredible as it may seem, names and events in this book are factual - which makes it at once an important documentary and excellent entertainment. The almost-legendary Coober Pedy opal fields attract and create characters. Situated in the arid peneplain of Stuart Ranges, people there live underground to escape flies, dust and extreme temperatures. They may live but inches away from the opal they so desperately seek and for which they endure considerable hardships. Water is rationed, food expensive, violence and robberies are almost a way of life, since Coober Pedy is a well-known haunt for criminals and tribal outcasts. Gambling and prostitution thrive. Men disappear mysteriously. Tribal killings baffle the authorities. Frank and hard hitting, Rena Briand has made no attempt to cover up her observations. Though this book has an expert condensation covering opal and its mining, it differs vastly from other works on the subject. Containing glimpses of station life, dingo hunting, prospecting in the wilderness and race meetings in the desert, it is a first-class portrait of Australian outback. The characteristics which set Coober Pedy apart will not last much longer, as the outside world is slowly overtaking it; but with keen perception the author has caught those under the spell of opal fever today, and hilarious anecdotes contribute to make this an extremely readable and colourful book.