Home » About Broken Hill

About Broken Hill

The Heritage City of Broken Hill is unlike any other place you’ll ever visit.   It’s where Australia’s pioneering past mingles with contemporary culture, and for a city in the middle of nowhere, there’s more than enough to keep you occupied.  Spend some time in Mica Cottage and you’ll discover why people regularly come for a short visit to The Hill and never leave. The town is full of friendly welcoming people, there are plenty of bars and restaurants, mobile phone reception is no problem around the city, and it is easy to navigate.

Broken Hill wears her heritage on her sleeve: wide streets are fronted with impressively restored buildings in the main CBD precinct. Move away from the centre, and you’ll discover an eclectic mix of stone and tin miner’s cottages in various states of repair (many have taken advantage of the local council’s paint restoration and heritage grant scheme) glittering in the brilliant, artist-attracting late afternoon light. The sunsets here are among the best you’ll see, and you don’t need to go far to catch a fantastic view that attracts artists and filmmakers from around the world. Then, once night time hits, if you drive 2kms out of town, you’ll be struck by the vivid bright mass of stars twinkling beneath the ink-black sky.

Broken Hill is famous for mining, (BHP was founded here in 1883), industrial relations, (the unions first flexed their muscles here in the massive strikes of the early 1900s), and art, (the late Pro Hart and his fellow Bushmen of the Bush exhibited all over the world, countless films and TV commercials have been born from the made-for-the-screen surrounds over the years).

Local Attractions

You can see some of the region’s favourite sites and attractions at www.mybrokenhill.tv

Check out the official Broken Hill Tourist Website HERE  for a full list of things to see and do in Broken Hill or call into the local Visitor Information Centre.

Some of our favourite things to do in the Broken hill and Silverton region are listed below, but dont hesitate to get in touch if we can help out with planning your itinerary.

Bells Milk Bar

Check out this 1950s hidden gem.  Located in South Broken Hill, its worth the drive to try one of Bells’ famous old style drinks, sit in the original 1950s milk bar, and explore the milk bar and cafe museum out the back.

Royal Flying Doctor’s Base Broken Hill

Enjoy the modern tourist facility, discover the amazing story behind the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and take the only tour of an operational base available in Australia. Click here for more information. Broken Hill Airport. Ph (08) 8080 3714.

The Big picture

Head down to the Silver City Mint to check out Peter Anderson’s painting – it’s the largest single acrylic on canvas in the world! There’s also a chocolate factory, gift shop, opal display, mining exhibit, and art gallery to explore.

Outback Astronomy

Take advantage of our clean air and low light pollution to ‘hang out with the stars’ in Broken Hill with Outback Astronomy and get your own guided sky cruise of our Milk Way Galaxy and beyond.  Racecourse Rd Ph 0427 055 225  or visit the website for more info.

The Palace Hotel

Made famous for it’s role in the Pricilla Queen of The Desert movie, The Palace is as quirky as it gets. Check out the painted and eccentric interior. Open for accommodation and the restaurant bar opens regularly with live music on weekends. It is also home of Broken Hill’s Two Up School, which is one of only two places in Australia that you can legally play Two Up year round.  227 Argent St. Ph (08) 8088 1699.

 Silverton Hotel

The Silverton Hotel is one of the most recognisable pubs in the country. It has been featured in countless TV commercials, films and magazine shoots.   Also famous for ‘The Test’.  Silverton HWY (on the left as you come into town).

Daydream Mine

The turnoff is halfway between Broken Hill to Silverton.  Make the effort to take a detour and you wont be disappointed. Here you will discover first hand what the early miners went through.  (Average fitness level required).

Mad Max Museum

Another Silverton Attraction, the Mad Max Museum is home to a comprehensive (and growing) collection of Mad Max memorabilia from the classic Australian film, Mad Max 2.   Click here for more info including the remarkable story behind how Adrian Bennett and his wife Linda ended up half way around the world to pursue his passion for all things Mad Max.  Silverton.

 Menindee Lakes

 No visit to Broken Hill is complete without a side trip to the marvelous Menindee Lakes region situated an easy hour’s drive from the Hill. The lakes form a vital part of the Murray Darling river system and the amount of water in them varies, but regardless of the levels, the lakes are well worth a visit any time. Year round you’ll find more different species of birds than Kakadu National Park and history dating back further than Burke and Wills’ ill-fated expedition long before Broken Hill was discovered.

 

Outback Museum Stories:

Check out the new www.outbackmuseums.com.au website (launched early 2016) to discover some of the stories that made the town of Broken Hill. Featuring 11 local museum sites and dozens of videos with photos and insightful information about the history this place. Some of the sites featured include:

 Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum

 Located across from the Visitor Info Centre and housed in the former Sulphide St Railway Station, this is more than just a train museum, featuring a varied and accessible collection of the Broken Hill history including hospital museum, migrant museum and a whole lot more. Ph. (08) 8088 4660.

Silverton Gaol

 Though this old gaol now houses a collection of historical artefacts including a pro hart piano, the original intention of the building is never far from your mind.  Look out for the old morgue and body bath.  Silverton HWY (on the left as you come into town).

Other Outback Museums include:

Broken Hill Mosque Museum

Albert Kersten Mining & Minerals Museum

Outback Archives (in the Broken Hill Library upstairs)

Synagogue of The Outback Museum

West Darling Machinery Preservation Society

Silverton School Educational Museum

Broken Hill Family History Group

Whites Mining & Mineral Art Museum

Bells Milk Bar – see above