The city of Broken Hill is as far west of New South Wales as you can go, with Adelaide being the closest capital city being 500 kms away. In 1883 a boundary rider working on a property named Charles Rasp discovered what he thought was tin. This however turned out to be the largest and richest silver, lead and ore find of its kind in the world, and from here the town of Broken Hill was built.
In 1885 the Broken Hill Proprietary Company was founded which has gone on to become the largest mining company in the world under the name of BHP Billiton. By 1891 the population in Broken Hill had risen to 21,000 people and was the third largest town in New South Wales. Although the mines have been largely depleted, there are still mines that do operate in the town and are viable when the price of metals remains high. Tour operators operate out of Broken Hill, taking tourists out to the old mines where they can explore the days gone by.
With its open plains and stunning landscapes, Broken Hill has become an area renowned for its art and artists, with many artists calling Broken Hill home. If it is art you are interested in, give yourself time to look through the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery as they always have exhibitions from local artists as well as touring exhibitions from major cultural institutions. A must see for all tourists is a trip out to the Living Desert Reserve to witness the sculpture symposium which are 12 sandstone sculptures placed along a trail by artists from around the world. Broken Hill has also proved a popular spot with filmmakers over the years, with films such as Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Mad Max 2 shot in and around the town.
There is also much to see in the surrounding area of Broken Hill. Silverton is 25kms from Broken Hill and has many historic old buildings, and for Mad Max fans has a replica car parked out the front of the pub. The town of Menindee is around 110 kms from Broken Hill and sits on the banks of the Darling River. Menindee is also surrounded by the Menindee Lakes, and the Broken Hill locals love to go there for a spot of fishing, water sports, or simply to watch the stunning sunsets over the lakes.
To read up on Broken Hill, follow this link: Broken Hill
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