Dallas’s guidebook

Dallas
Dallas’s guidebook

City/town information

Broken Hill is Australia's oldest mining town, with a colonial history dating back to the 1880s. Poised dramatically above the landscape, the Line of Lode Miner's Memorial celebrates the life and work of more than 800 miners who lost their lives here. Known as the Silver City, Broken Hill is situated on one of the world's richest deposits of silver, lead, and zinc ores. The site, in a hot and subarid region, was first visited in 1844 by Charles Sturt, who named the humpbacked range Broken Hill. The broken hill that gave its name to Broken Hill actually consisted of a number of hills that appeared to have a break in them. This broken hill no longer exists, having been mined away. The area was originally known as Willyama.
Broken Hill
Broken Hill is Australia's oldest mining town, with a colonial history dating back to the 1880s. Poised dramatically above the landscape, the Line of Lode Miner's Memorial celebrates the life and work of more than 800 miners who lost their lives here. Known as the Silver City, Broken Hill is situated on one of the world's richest deposits of silver, lead, and zinc ores. The site, in a hot and subarid region, was first visited in 1844 by Charles Sturt, who named the humpbacked range Broken Hill. The broken hill that gave its name to Broken Hill actually consisted of a number of hills that appeared to have a break in them. This broken hill no longer exists, having been mined away. The area was originally known as Willyama.

Places to visit

Historic Buildings Most of Broken Hill's notable buildings are in Argent Street and the Civic Group is regarded as a particularly fine example of a concentration of public buildings. It is worth walking down Argent Street and noting the highlights including: Post Office Located at the corner of Argent and Chloride Streets, this red-brick building (1891), was designed by Colonial Architect, James Barnet. The Heritage of Australia describes it as "the main body of the structure is subservient to its massive tower which stands on the corner of Argent and Chloride Streets and around which is wrapped a footpath veranda with corner balcony supported on paired timber columns. The square tower is capped by a decorative mansard roof and houses four clock faces." Town Hall Next door to the Post Office, as the central part of the Civic Group, is the extraordinarily ornate Town Hall (1890-91). The Heritage of Australia describes it as "designed by Adelaide architect Whittal in the Victorian Classical Revival idiom and built of stone ... it features an open veranda on two levels with projecting porch and balcony. The first of the truly ornate structures to grace the streets of Broken Hill, it has strong historical associations with the city's founder, Charles Rasp. Police Station The Police Station (1890), complete with a cell block at the rear, is a simple Victorian public structure which replaced an earlier tin shed in which the prisoners were chained to the floor although it is claimed that if a female prisoner was present the men were chained to the station fence outside. Technical College The Federation-style Technical College (1900-01) with its large, arched windows and ornamented entrance was designed by W.L. Vernon and W.E. Kemp. It was built to meet the apprenticeship needs of the local mines. It now a TAFE college. Court House The dignified and unpretentious Court House was built of stuccoed brick in 1889. It was designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet. The Heritage of Australia describes it as "typical in design of late Victorian courthouses, it combines an unadorned two-storey pedimented front with single-storey side wings, flanked with deeply recessed verandas supported on paired timber columns, and a hipped roof. The symmetrical composition is dominated by the two-storey court room, the entry to which is heralded by a fine coat of arms at window level." In the court house grounds is a sculptured bronze war memorial depicting a soldier throwing a grenade. It was created by sculptor Charles Webb Gilbert who died a week before its unveiling in 1925. Palace Hotel There are a number of historic hotels in the city but the most famous and most impressive is the three-storey Palace Hotel (1889) with its long verandas and its beautiful cast-iron balustrades. Anyone who has seen the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert will immediately recognise it. Trades Hall Nothing symbolises Broken Hill more than its deep and enduring commitment to the union movement. With its highly ornate facade, stained-glass windows and geometrically patterned ceiling the Trades Hall (1898-1905) is a monument to the importance and status of the union movement in this union city. There is a long and detailed history of the building which starts "The Trades Hall is Broken Hill's most historically important building. It is the first privately owned Trades Hall in the Southern Hemisphere. Built and paid for entirely by the people of Broken Hill, it stands as a proud and fitting monument to all workers, past and present. "Of the old buildings that have survived in Broken Hill, the Trades Hall stands out, not just in architectural terms but because history was made within its walls and on the streets outside. The Trades Hall has been the home of the union movement in Broken Hill since it was built in 1905." Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum The old sandstone railway station, at the corner of Blende and Bromide Streets, opposite the Visitor Information Centre, was built by the Silverton Tramway Company to replace the original iron and timber station (1888). The building was closed in 1970 but it is now "four museums for the price of one: the Broken Hill Migrant Museum, the Hospital Museum, the Ron Carter Transport Pavilion and the Triple Chance Mineral Collection." It is also home to a range of railway attractions, including the Silver City Comet and a selection of restored gems from the Silverton Tramway Company. It is open from 10.00 am - 3.00 pm daily. Synagogue of the Outback Museum A wonderful commentary on the rich multiculturalism of mining towns, Broken Hill has both a mosque and a synagogue. The local publicity suggests that the synagogue, now a museum, is the most isolated Jewish museum in the world. Certainly it is only one of two (the other is the mining town of Ballarat in Victoria) rural synagogues in Australia. The synagogue closed in 1962. It is located at 165 Wolfram Street and is open Monday, Wednesday and Sunday from 10.00 am - 3.00 pm Australia's First Mosque - the Afghan Mosque Broken Hill's Afghan Mosque is located in Williams Street and is recognised as Australia's first mosque. It was built in 1891 by a small group of Muslim camel drivers from Afghanistan and India on the site of a former camel camp. Importation of camels had commenced in 1840 and the first Afghan camel driver, Dost Mahomet, accompanied Burke and Wills in 1860. The mosque's alcove points to Mecca. In 1968 the Broken Hill Historical Society renovated the building. It can be opened for inspection by contacting the Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre, corner of Blende and Bromide Streets Parks, Museums and Galleries Sturt Park and the Titanic Memorial Sturt Park was gazetted as a reserve in 1895 and became known as Sturt Park in 1944. It is a pleasant place to have a picnic but its main appeal lies in its unusual Titanic Memorial which was erected in memory of the bandsmen of the Titanic who kept playing in the hope of maintaining calm while the ship went down. The broken column is not an unrepaired accident but an ancient Greek symbol of being cut down in youth. It was erected by the members of the Broken Hill Band who felt that the courage of the band on the Titanic deserved to be recognised. Riddiford Arboretum Riddiford Arboretum in Galena Street (opposite the Centro Shopping Centre) features trees and shrubs from the region as well as Broken Hill's (and South Australia's) floral emblem, Sturt's Desert Pea. The arboretum was named after Walter Riddiford, mayor of Broken Hill from 1949 to 1962. In terms of its flora it is really "a tribute to Albert Morris, a self-taught botanist who was responsible for establishing the regeneration reserves around the city. The plants in those reserves hold down the local dust." Albert Kersten Mining & Minerals Museum The Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum is located in the old stone Bond Store building (1892) on the corner of Crystal and Bromide Streets. It includes displays of minerals from the surrounding area, a display which recounts the geological history of the earth, a display covering the history of the town and its mines, a large mineral collection, and the famous 'Silver Tree' (a sculpture made with 8.5 kg of silver by a German silversmith, Henry Steiner) which was purchased by Charles Rasp to furnish his house in Adelaide. It is open Monday to Friday from 10.00 am - 4.45 pm. and on Saturday and Sunday from 1.00 pm - 4.45 pm. Silver City Mint and Art Centre The great claim of the Silver City Mint and Art Centre is that it is the proud owner of the World's Largest Acrylic Canvas Painting. It is 12 metres high and 100 metres long and was painted by one artist. The centre also has an on-site silversmith and an interesting mineral display. It is open from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm seven days. White's Mineral Art & Living Mining Museum White's Mineral Art and Living Mining Museum, run by Bushy White, is located at 1 Allendale Street and features a walk-in mining stope (an excavation site); collages made of crushed minerals depicting mining equipment; local historical buildings and landscapes; and the legend of Sturt's desert pea. It is open 9.00 am - 5.00 pm daily. Art Galleries Broken Hill's artistic heritage started in the 1960s when Pro Hart championed a group of local, vernacular artists who became known as the "Brushmen of the Bush". The group consisting of Pro Hart, Eric Minchin, Hugh Schulz, John W. Pickup and Jack Absalom. Although diverse in their style they were all self-taught and specialised in distinctly Australian subject matter. Today Broken Hill has more galleries than any other inland town or city in Australia. Not only does it have an excellent Regional Art Gallery with works by Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, Clifton Pugh and Lloyd Rees, but it has literally dozens of private galleries where the "school of Pro Hart" (ie lots of brilliant blue skies, harsh red dirt and scrawny trees) are sold to visitors. Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, located at 404-408 Argent Street, is the oldest regional art gallery in New South Wales and the second oldest art gallery in Australia after the State Gallery in Sydney. It started in 1904 when George McCulloch (one of the founders of BHP) donated three paintings. It was officially opened that year by Lord Northcote, the Governor-General of Australia. The collection was originally housed in the Technical College Museum and moved to its current site in 1970. The gallery includes traditional, modern and Aboriginal works. It hosts regular travelling exhibitions. It is open Monday to Friday from 10.00 am - 5.00 pm and 11.00 am - 4.00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Pro Hart Gallery Pro Hart, the most famous and successful of the Brushmen of the Bush, died in 2006 but The Pro Hart Gallery still sells his art work, books about his life, and other souvenirs. It is located at 108 Wyman Street and is a popular tourist attraction. The gallery has Hart's distinctive Rolls Royce (he painted it with a typical Pro Hart design) outside and features a collection of Australian and European works and one of the largest pipe organs in Australia. Although he was never admired by the art establishment it was Germaine Greer who best summed up his importance when she wrote: "What makes Hart special is his unbreakable connection with the Barrier country of far west New South Wales. His bush scenes are not just illustrations of outback life: they glow with the unforgettable light of the inland. His gangling twisted feather-top trees are portraits of the acacias and casuarinas that refract the raking sun of the desert edge in a luminous haze. The vegetation system of Menindee and the Barrier Ranges is called acacia loderi woodland by naturalists and it is, like all such systems in Australia, now under threat. The syncopation in the replication of their gnarly boles is the genuine rhythm of the Murray-Darling and Hart could draw it in his sleep." The gallery is open 9.00 am - 5.00 pm weekdays and Sunday 1.30 pm - 5.00 pm Jack Absalom's Gallery Jack Absalom's Gallery, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year, is located at 638 Chapple Street. Absalom was one of the most important members of the Brushmen of the Bush (second only to Pro Hart) and his work, while not being popular with the art establishment, is seen as a unique expression of the world of Broken Hill and the outback. Royal Flying Doctor Service - the Bruce Langford Visitor Centre Visitors who want to learn about the history and the workings of the Royal Flying Doctor Service can visit the Bruce Langford Visitor Centre which includes the Mantle of Safety museum, a theatre where a film is shown to visitors and a shop with displays and souvenirs. It is situated at Airport Road, Broken Hill Airport and is open from 9.00 am - 5.00 pm Monday to Friday and 10.00 am - 3.00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. School of the Air The School of the Air is a unique outback experience where children on outlying and isolated properties participate in a classroom which, in the case of Broken Hill, covers over one million square kilometres. You can inspect the school and listen in to a class. Bookings can be made at the Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre, corner of Blende and Bromide Streets Joe Keenan's Lookout Joe Keenan's Lookout is located in Marks Street and offers an excellent view of the city and the line of lode. It was named in honour of Peter Joseph Keenan, President of the Barrier Industrial Council from 1969 to 1985, and city Alderman from 1953 to 1962. Line of Lode Miners’ Memorial and Visitors’ Centre The Miners’ Memorial and Visitors’ Centre were completed in December 2000. The structure was designed by architects Chris Landorf and David Manfredi and is a symbolic and spiritual representation of the tragedy of more than 800 deaths from mining accidents at Broken Hill. The site on the edge of the tailings provides a dramatic vantagepoint for visitors offering an excellent view over the city. The Story of Charles Rasp The early history of Broken Hill is the story of Charles Rasp, a boundary rider at the Mt Gipps station, who discovered what he thought was a mountain of tin at the 'broken hill'. The samples he took contained silver chloride and he claimed 16 hectares. On advice from George McCulloch, manager of Mount Gipps station, he formed a syndicate of seven and they pegged the whole ridge mainly to prevent a rush from other miners. For some time the syndicate had little success but the discovery of a rich ore lode in January 1885 led to the establishment of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company which effectively owned one of the world's largest known silver-lead-zinc lodes. Rasp and his colleagues made vast fortunes (they owned 14,000 of the company's 16,000 shares). The ore body was a continuous arc 7 km long and 220 m wide. Only recently has it been revealed that Rasp was actually born in Saxony as Hieronymous Salvator Lopez von Pereira. His grandfather was Portuguese aristocracy. His father became private secretary to a German prince, moved to Saxony, married a German woman and died while being pursued by the Rothschild family. Both father and son sought to obscure their identity by changing the family name.
Broken Hill City Council
Historic Buildings Most of Broken Hill's notable buildings are in Argent Street and the Civic Group is regarded as a particularly fine example of a concentration of public buildings. It is worth walking down Argent Street and noting the highlights including: Post Office Located at the corner of Argent and Chloride Streets, this red-brick building (1891), was designed by Colonial Architect, James Barnet. The Heritage of Australia describes it as "the main body of the structure is subservient to its massive tower which stands on the corner of Argent and Chloride Streets and around which is wrapped a footpath veranda with corner balcony supported on paired timber columns. The square tower is capped by a decorative mansard roof and houses four clock faces." Town Hall Next door to the Post Office, as the central part of the Civic Group, is the extraordinarily ornate Town Hall (1890-91). The Heritage of Australia describes it as "designed by Adelaide architect Whittal in the Victorian Classical Revival idiom and built of stone ... it features an open veranda on two levels with projecting porch and balcony. The first of the truly ornate structures to grace the streets of Broken Hill, it has strong historical associations with the city's founder, Charles Rasp. Police Station The Police Station (1890), complete with a cell block at the rear, is a simple Victorian public structure which replaced an earlier tin shed in which the prisoners were chained to the floor although it is claimed that if a female prisoner was present the men were chained to the station fence outside. Technical College The Federation-style Technical College (1900-01) with its large, arched windows and ornamented entrance was designed by W.L. Vernon and W.E. Kemp. It was built to meet the apprenticeship needs of the local mines. It now a TAFE college. Court House The dignified and unpretentious Court House was built of stuccoed brick in 1889. It was designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet. The Heritage of Australia describes it as "typical in design of late Victorian courthouses, it combines an unadorned two-storey pedimented front with single-storey side wings, flanked with deeply recessed verandas supported on paired timber columns, and a hipped roof. The symmetrical composition is dominated by the two-storey court room, the entry to which is heralded by a fine coat of arms at window level." In the court house grounds is a sculptured bronze war memorial depicting a soldier throwing a grenade. It was created by sculptor Charles Webb Gilbert who died a week before its unveiling in 1925. Palace Hotel There are a number of historic hotels in the city but the most famous and most impressive is the three-storey Palace Hotel (1889) with its long verandas and its beautiful cast-iron balustrades. Anyone who has seen the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert will immediately recognise it. Trades Hall Nothing symbolises Broken Hill more than its deep and enduring commitment to the union movement. With its highly ornate facade, stained-glass windows and geometrically patterned ceiling the Trades Hall (1898-1905) is a monument to the importance and status of the union movement in this union city. There is a long and detailed history of the building which starts "The Trades Hall is Broken Hill's most historically important building. It is the first privately owned Trades Hall in the Southern Hemisphere. Built and paid for entirely by the people of Broken Hill, it stands as a proud and fitting monument to all workers, past and present. "Of the old buildings that have survived in Broken Hill, the Trades Hall stands out, not just in architectural terms but because history was made within its walls and on the streets outside. The Trades Hall has been the home of the union movement in Broken Hill since it was built in 1905." Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum The old sandstone railway station, at the corner of Blende and Bromide Streets, opposite the Visitor Information Centre, was built by the Silverton Tramway Company to replace the original iron and timber station (1888). The building was closed in 1970 but it is now "four museums for the price of one: the Broken Hill Migrant Museum, the Hospital Museum, the Ron Carter Transport Pavilion and the Triple Chance Mineral Collection." It is also home to a range of railway attractions, including the Silver City Comet and a selection of restored gems from the Silverton Tramway Company. It is open from 10.00 am - 3.00 pm daily. Synagogue of the Outback Museum A wonderful commentary on the rich multiculturalism of mining towns, Broken Hill has both a mosque and a synagogue. The local publicity suggests that the synagogue, now a museum, is the most isolated Jewish museum in the world. Certainly it is only one of two (the other is the mining town of Ballarat in Victoria) rural synagogues in Australia. The synagogue closed in 1962. It is located at 165 Wolfram Street and is open Monday, Wednesday and Sunday from 10.00 am - 3.00 pm Australia's First Mosque - the Afghan Mosque Broken Hill's Afghan Mosque is located in Williams Street and is recognised as Australia's first mosque. It was built in 1891 by a small group of Muslim camel drivers from Afghanistan and India on the site of a former camel camp. Importation of camels had commenced in 1840 and the first Afghan camel driver, Dost Mahomet, accompanied Burke and Wills in 1860. The mosque's alcove points to Mecca. In 1968 the Broken Hill Historical Society renovated the building. It can be opened for inspection by contacting the Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre, corner of Blende and Bromide Streets Parks, Museums and Galleries Sturt Park and the Titanic Memorial Sturt Park was gazetted as a reserve in 1895 and became known as Sturt Park in 1944. It is a pleasant place to have a picnic but its main appeal lies in its unusual Titanic Memorial which was erected in memory of the bandsmen of the Titanic who kept playing in the hope of maintaining calm while the ship went down. The broken column is not an unrepaired accident but an ancient Greek symbol of being cut down in youth. It was erected by the members of the Broken Hill Band who felt that the courage of the band on the Titanic deserved to be recognised. Riddiford Arboretum Riddiford Arboretum in Galena Street (opposite the Centro Shopping Centre) features trees and shrubs from the region as well as Broken Hill's (and South Australia's) floral emblem, Sturt's Desert Pea. The arboretum was named after Walter Riddiford, mayor of Broken Hill from 1949 to 1962. In terms of its flora it is really "a tribute to Albert Morris, a self-taught botanist who was responsible for establishing the regeneration reserves around the city. The plants in those reserves hold down the local dust." Albert Kersten Mining & Minerals Museum The Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum is located in the old stone Bond Store building (1892) on the corner of Crystal and Bromide Streets. It includes displays of minerals from the surrounding area, a display which recounts the geological history of the earth, a display covering the history of the town and its mines, a large mineral collection, and the famous 'Silver Tree' (a sculpture made with 8.5 kg of silver by a German silversmith, Henry Steiner) which was purchased by Charles Rasp to furnish his house in Adelaide. It is open Monday to Friday from 10.00 am - 4.45 pm. and on Saturday and Sunday from 1.00 pm - 4.45 pm. Silver City Mint and Art Centre The great claim of the Silver City Mint and Art Centre is that it is the proud owner of the World's Largest Acrylic Canvas Painting. It is 12 metres high and 100 metres long and was painted by one artist. The centre also has an on-site silversmith and an interesting mineral display. It is open from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm seven days. White's Mineral Art & Living Mining Museum White's Mineral Art and Living Mining Museum, run by Bushy White, is located at 1 Allendale Street and features a walk-in mining stope (an excavation site); collages made of crushed minerals depicting mining equipment; local historical buildings and landscapes; and the legend of Sturt's desert pea. It is open 9.00 am - 5.00 pm daily. Art Galleries Broken Hill's artistic heritage started in the 1960s when Pro Hart championed a group of local, vernacular artists who became known as the "Brushmen of the Bush". The group consisting of Pro Hart, Eric Minchin, Hugh Schulz, John W. Pickup and Jack Absalom. Although diverse in their style they were all self-taught and specialised in distinctly Australian subject matter. Today Broken Hill has more galleries than any other inland town or city in Australia. Not only does it have an excellent Regional Art Gallery with works by Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, Clifton Pugh and Lloyd Rees, but it has literally dozens of private galleries where the "school of Pro Hart" (ie lots of brilliant blue skies, harsh red dirt and scrawny trees) are sold to visitors. Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, located at 404-408 Argent Street, is the oldest regional art gallery in New South Wales and the second oldest art gallery in Australia after the State Gallery in Sydney. It started in 1904 when George McCulloch (one of the founders of BHP) donated three paintings. It was officially opened that year by Lord Northcote, the Governor-General of Australia. The collection was originally housed in the Technical College Museum and moved to its current site in 1970. The gallery includes traditional, modern and Aboriginal works. It hosts regular travelling exhibitions. It is open Monday to Friday from 10.00 am - 5.00 pm and 11.00 am - 4.00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Pro Hart Gallery Pro Hart, the most famous and successful of the Brushmen of the Bush, died in 2006 but The Pro Hart Gallery still sells his art work, books about his life, and other souvenirs. It is located at 108 Wyman Street and is a popular tourist attraction. The gallery has Hart's distinctive Rolls Royce (he painted it with a typical Pro Hart design) outside and features a collection of Australian and European works and one of the largest pipe organs in Australia. Although he was never admired by the art establishment it was Germaine Greer who best summed up his importance when she wrote: "What makes Hart special is his unbreakable connection with the Barrier country of far west New South Wales. His bush scenes are not just illustrations of outback life: they glow with the unforgettable light of the inland. His gangling twisted feather-top trees are portraits of the acacias and casuarinas that refract the raking sun of the desert edge in a luminous haze. The vegetation system of Menindee and the Barrier Ranges is called acacia loderi woodland by naturalists and it is, like all such systems in Australia, now under threat. The syncopation in the replication of their gnarly boles is the genuine rhythm of the Murray-Darling and Hart could draw it in his sleep." The gallery is open 9.00 am - 5.00 pm weekdays and Sunday 1.30 pm - 5.00 pm Jack Absalom's Gallery Jack Absalom's Gallery, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year, is located at 638 Chapple Street. Absalom was one of the most important members of the Brushmen of the Bush (second only to Pro Hart) and his work, while not being popular with the art establishment, is seen as a unique expression of the world of Broken Hill and the outback. Royal Flying Doctor Service - the Bruce Langford Visitor Centre Visitors who want to learn about the history and the workings of the Royal Flying Doctor Service can visit the Bruce Langford Visitor Centre which includes the Mantle of Safety museum, a theatre where a film is shown to visitors and a shop with displays and souvenirs. It is situated at Airport Road, Broken Hill Airport and is open from 9.00 am - 5.00 pm Monday to Friday and 10.00 am - 3.00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. School of the Air The School of the Air is a unique outback experience where children on outlying and isolated properties participate in a classroom which, in the case of Broken Hill, covers over one million square kilometres. You can inspect the school and listen in to a class. Bookings can be made at the Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre, corner of Blende and Bromide Streets Joe Keenan's Lookout Joe Keenan's Lookout is located in Marks Street and offers an excellent view of the city and the line of lode. It was named in honour of Peter Joseph Keenan, President of the Barrier Industrial Council from 1969 to 1985, and city Alderman from 1953 to 1962. Line of Lode Miners’ Memorial and Visitors’ Centre The Miners’ Memorial and Visitors’ Centre were completed in December 2000. The structure was designed by architects Chris Landorf and David Manfredi and is a symbolic and spiritual representation of the tragedy of more than 800 deaths from mining accidents at Broken Hill. The site on the edge of the tailings provides a dramatic vantagepoint for visitors offering an excellent view over the city. The Story of Charles Rasp The early history of Broken Hill is the story of Charles Rasp, a boundary rider at the Mt Gipps station, who discovered what he thought was a mountain of tin at the 'broken hill'. The samples he took contained silver chloride and he claimed 16 hectares. On advice from George McCulloch, manager of Mount Gipps station, he formed a syndicate of seven and they pegged the whole ridge mainly to prevent a rush from other miners. For some time the syndicate had little success but the discovery of a rich ore lode in January 1885 led to the establishment of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company which effectively owned one of the world's largest known silver-lead-zinc lodes. Rasp and his colleagues made vast fortunes (they owned 14,000 of the company's 16,000 shares). The ore body was a continuous arc 7 km long and 220 m wide. Only recently has it been revealed that Rasp was actually born in Saxony as Hieronymous Salvator Lopez von Pereira. His grandfather was Portuguese aristocracy. His father became private secretary to a German prince, moved to Saxony, married a German woman and died while being pursued by the Rothschild family. Both father and son sought to obscure their identity by changing the family name.

Information

The Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre is the best place to start for bookings or tours and general information find information by googling Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre
Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre
23-27 Bromide St
The Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre is the best place to start for bookings or tours and general information find information by googling Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre
Great place to visit for all your souvenirs.
7 locals recommend
Silver City Mint and Art Centre
66 Chloride St
7 locals recommend
Great place to visit for all your souvenirs.
Dedicated to all the miners who have lost their lives in the mines of Broken Hill. A very good interpretive walk
9 locals recommend
Line of Lode Miners Memorial
Federation Way
9 locals recommend
Dedicated to all the miners who have lost their lives in the mines of Broken Hill. A very good interpretive walk

Sightseeing

Pricilla Queen of the Desert was filmed here. Also the birth place of the "Broken Heel Festival" September every year
18 locals recommend
Palace Hotel
227 Argent St
18 locals recommend
Pricilla Queen of the Desert was filmed here. Also the birth place of the "Broken Heel Festival" September every year
Only 20 mins drive to Mundi Mundi lookout. Silverton was the spot for the making of Mad Max 2.
7 locals recommend
Silverton
7 locals recommend
Only 20 mins drive to Mundi Mundi lookout. Silverton was the spot for the making of Mad Max 2.
Mundi Mundi lookout Silverton. Where you can see the curve of the earth. Great spot to visit at sunset
9 locals recommend
Mundi Mundi Lookout
S Broken Hill
9 locals recommend
Mundi Mundi lookout Silverton. Where you can see the curve of the earth. Great spot to visit at sunset
Living Desert sculptures. Great for sunset drinks. 10kms from Broken Hill
11 locals recommend
The Living Desert and Sculptures
Nine Mile Road
11 locals recommend
Living Desert sculptures. Great for sunset drinks. 10kms from Broken Hill
Visit the RFDS base to experience outback medical. Also the location of the Flying Doctors series.
Flying Doctor Outback Heritage Experience, Broken Hill
Pro Hart Way
Visit the RFDS base to experience outback medical. Also the location of the Flying Doctors series.
Broken Hill was formed by the Barrier Industrial Council and is still very strong today.
Trades Hall
242 Blende St
Broken Hill was formed by the Barrier Industrial Council and is still very strong today.

Food scene

Step back in time with a milk shake or spider. This milk bar is like walking into the 50/60s again.
11 locals recommend
Bell's Milk Bar
160 Patton St
11 locals recommend
Step back in time with a milk shake or spider. This milk bar is like walking into the 50/60s again.
Woolworths is a short walk from the property. I have also put a trolley in the laundry for you to use if you choose to take a short walk.
Woolworths
7 Galena St
Woolworths is a short walk from the property. I have also put a trolley in the laundry for you to use if you choose to take a short walk.
The Broken Hill Pub (BHP) a great place to eat. Completely renovated into a very contemporary modern eatery
6 locals recommend
The Broken Hill Pub
400 Argent St
6 locals recommend
The Broken Hill Pub (BHP) a great place to eat. Completely renovated into a very contemporary modern eatery
A great place with great coffee and full of artisan goods. I can arrange food boxes for special occasions, just let me know beforehand.
The Deli
9 Argent St
A great place with great coffee and full of artisan goods. I can arrange food boxes for special occasions, just let me know beforehand.
Just 20kms down the Sydney road. Great place for a drink and lunch on the lawns.
Broken Hill Outback Resort
Barrier Highway
Just 20kms down the Sydney road. Great place for a drink and lunch on the lawns.

Art Scene

Pro Hart gallery - worth a visit.
8 locals recommend
Pro Hart
108 Wyman St
8 locals recommend
Pro Hart gallery - worth a visit.
This is a great place to start if you are into the art scene. You will find out everything you need to know about art in Broken Hill
11 locals recommend
Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery
408 Argent St
11 locals recommend
This is a great place to start if you are into the art scene. You will find out everything you need to know about art in Broken Hill

City advice

What to pack

Dress for the weather

It can be very hot in summer and can reach 40 degrees and very cold in winter 6 degrees. We get about 5 frosts a year. Although most of the year the temperature is very good we do have extremes. Remember to bring a hat for summer and a jacket for winter.
Don't miss

Broken Heel Festival - September every year

The Broken Heel festival is held very September and is a celebration of the drag queen phenomenon that was started with "Pricilla Queen of the desert"
Don't miss

Mundi Mundi Bash - August every year

Mundi Mundi Bash is a 3 day music festival held west of Silverton every August. 10 000 people arrive from all over Australia with their caravans to camp and listen to a great line up of musicians.
Customs and culture

Cheese slaw

Made of grated cheese and grated carrot. This is a traditional food of Broken Hill locals. You will find it on sandwiches and as salads. Some families have recipes that date back generations and are kept very close to their hearts.