Broken Hill Photos

Broken Hill has been called The Silver City, the Oasis of the West, and the Capital of the Outback. It is an isolated mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia and located near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway and the Silver City Highway, in the Barrier Range. Unlike the rest of New South Wales, Broken Hill and the surrounding region observe Australian Central Standard Time, a time zone it shares with South Australia and the Northern Territory. Although over 1,100 km (684 mi) west of Sydney, and surrounded by semi-desert, the town still manages colourful park and garden displays, and offers a number of attractions.

Broken Hill and the surrounding area has many natural and man-made attractions on offer for the tourist. These include mining operations (some open to the public), a visitor's centre and lookout on top of the original Line of Lode mine, historic buildings, town history walking trails, many resident artists and galleries, the Sculpture Symposium, COBB & Co coach & wagon rides, Silverton Camel Farm, Stephen's Creek, several quarries, lakes, the Mundi-Mundi plains, and terrific sunsets.

Broken Hill is a living museum and full of beautiful historical buildings. The cast iron verandah of the Palace Hotel is classified by the National Trust as the longest in NSW. The Trades Hall is a most impressive building. Trade Unions have been always important in the mining town, and the Trade Hall has been home to the union movement since the early days. The red brick Broken Hill Post Office was designed by James Barnet. The first post office in Broken Hill opened in 1886, but it soon was considered too small for the booming mining town. The Broken Hill Town Hall is a fine example of Victorian Italianate style architecture.

The Sculpture Symposium is a major attraction within the Living Desert Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. A nationally successful sculpture symposium situated on a majestic hilltop within the centre of the Living Desert Reserve. The Sculpture Symposium was created in 1993 by Lawrence Beck and 12 sculptors from countries including; Georgia, Syria, Mexico, Bathurst Island and Australia. The Symposium consists of 12 Sandstone Sculptures that are highlighted against the skyline. The best time to visit the sculptures is around sunrise and sunset.

Additionally, Broken Hill, its nearby neighbour Silverton, and the surrounding desert have served as the backdrop for shooting numerous movies, television programs, video-clips and commercials. The clear blue skies and the magic light feature in movies including Mad Max 2 (a.k.a. The Road Warrior) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Silverton is a small village at the far west of New South Wales, Australia, 25 kilometres north-west of Broken Hill. The town is often referred to as a ghost town; however, there remains a small permanent population and mainly tourist related businesses. Several artists live in or around the town, including Peter Browne, Albert Woodroffe and John Dynon, with some maintaining their own galleries. This is in line with the significant number of artists working out of nearby Broken Hill, as the surrounding landscape and lighting is particularly amenable to the creation of art.