After more than 70 years the intergenerational search for the lost lamp of Yarrangobilly Caves has finally come to a bright ending, with the recovery of the famed beacon of survival.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) organised the safe retrieval of the lost lamp that belonged to intrepid adventurer and moondust expert, Brian O'Brien.
In December 1953, then 19-year-old O'Brien was exploring Yarrangobilly's East Deep Cave when he became separated from his caving partner, Fred Stewart.
Disoriented underground O'Brien slipped and fell, losing his lamp, his only source of light, and was left stranded in complete darkness.
O'Brien survived alone underground for three days, eventually rescued from a completely unknown section of the cave by the Canberra Alpine Club.
The lamp remained undiscovered for decades until 2021, when two students located it around 60 metres underground, muddy but still intact and hanging from a high ledge.
Understanding the O'Brien family's wish to hold one of his most treasured possessions, NPWS coordinated this unique and carefully planned recovery mission.
East Deep Cave is closed to the public, with access strictly controlled by NPWS to protect its fragile environment and to ensure visitor safety.
While the lamp sat in darkness O'Brien went on to lead a bright future, becoming a well-respected scientist running experiments on the Moon.
Sadly, he passed away at the age of 86 in 2020, only months before the lamp's rediscovery.
O'Brien's family have generously entrusted NPWS to care for the lamp. It will remain at Yarrangobilly where it will be displayed as a centrepiece, preserving a remarkable story of survival, discovery and legacy.
Quotes attributable to NPWS Area Manager, Matt White:
"By displaying the lamp and retelling O'Brien's story we will make sure that visitors appreciate and understand the extraordinary nature of this man and this environment.
The mystery of the missing lamp is a story that NPWS staff have shared with visitors for decades, we can now tell the final chapter."
Quotes attributable to Brian O'Brien's daughter, Ros O'Brien:
"As a teenager, my father survived three days lost in a cave and left a lamp behind, a small symbol of hope in the dark.
"Years later, he would leave five experiments on the Moon through his work with NASA's Apollo program.
"The rediscovery of the lamp is a beautiful reminder that his life journey stretched from the depths of the earth to the surface of the Moon.
"Dad's life was defined by curiosity, courage and a lifelong determination to help others understand the world as deeply as he did."
