This typical early opal miner’s house was constructed circa 1912 by Albert Bruno John Francis, who was born in Berlin and anglicised his name. He was an opal buyer who brought his family from White Cliffs to Lightning Ridge in 1908. His wife Kitty nee Huggard was the first lady opal buyer by 1911. Their two sons became miners and dealers in opal. Some grandchildren live in Walgett.

The last occupant of the hut was Paddy O’Hara in the 1960s. Known as the Doo Drop Inn, this was a tourist attraction near the Bottle House in Opal Street, 1970s. Lately, it is listed as heritage, an important reminder of the primitive conditions faced by those seeking their fortune at Lightning Ridge. It is maintained by the Doug Saunders, who lives on the block, as a condition of his Western Lands Lease.