56-625: Broken Hill is a city in the far west region of outback New South Wales , Australia. An inland mining city, it is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range . It is 315 m (1,033 ft) above sea level, with a cold semi-arid climate , and an average rainfall of 265 mm (10.4 in). The closest major city
112-525: A 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge rail link from Broken Hill to Menindee was opened, mainly to transport water from the Darling River to Broken Hill. Earlier sections of what became the Broken Hill railway line had been opened as early as 1885, reaching Trida in 1919, but a 257 kilometres (160 miles) gap remained between Trida and Menindee. It
168-592: A 1067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow-gauge railway line that ran north from Broken Hill for about 40 miles (64 km) to an area of limestone deposit which was transported to Broken Hill for use in the smelters at the mines. The tramway opened in 1891 but closed in 1898 as the smelters moved to Port Pirie . In 1889 the Public Works Committee of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly recommended that
224-633: A street tramway to provide public transport around town and to the mines. Eventually the NSW Government decided to build one, which was opened in 1902. It was operated by steam trams transferred from Sydney by sea and then by rail across South Australia. After World War I it sustained increasing losses until the New South Wales Government closed the system in 1926. A curiosity was the Tarrawingee Tramway ,
280-607: A 61 cm (24 in) pipeline from Menindee . The pipeline could supply 1.6 megalitres (57,000 cu ft; 420,000 US gal) of water per hour. Water storage facilities that are part of the Menindee Lakes Scheme on the Darling River secured the water supply to Broken Hill, making it a relative oasis amid the harsh climate of the Australian outback. High evaporation rates have resulted in
336-530: A 90-bed facility with five prison wardens and initially holding two female and 19 male prisoners. The Battle of Broken Hill took place on New Year's Day 1915 when two Afghan men, pushing an ice-cream cart, hoisted a Turkish Flag and fired upon a trainload of people who were headed to a New Years Day picnic. Since Australia was at war at the time with the Ottoman Empire , the men were first thought to be Turkish , but were later identified as being from
392-488: A facility in Broken Hill by some local people in preparation for the production of Mad Max: Fury Road . The historic machinery was all removed and presumably scrapped and the giant pits that the motors were housed in were filled with concrete to convert the buildings into a warehouse type layout. The Broken Hill City Council has received considerable funding and spent a large amount of money and resources on establishing
448-407: A film studio in the buildings but as at late 2014 these buildings remain largely empty and unused as the production of Fury Road shifted to Namibia , Africa, following higher than expected rainfall. The high potential for solar power given the extensive daily hours of sunshine in the town led to construction of the 53 MW Broken Hill Solar Plant by AGL Energy . It was funded and supported by
504-599: A number of heritage-listed sites, including: The town was listed in 2001 as a National Engineering Landmark by Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program . In 2015, Broken Hill became the first city in Australia to be included on the National Heritage List . By the 1920s most of the nine mines on the Line of Lode had their own steam-powered electrical generators to power
560-402: A permanent local water supply that meets the town's needs. By 1888 when the town's population had reached 5,000, the state government built a series of small storage tanks. By the 1890s, mining development had increased to the point that there was a severe water shortage and the mines and the people fought for water. Emergency water supplies were shipped by rail from the Darling River . In 1891,
616-464: A prosperous mining town well into the 1990s. Despite experiencing a slowing economic situation into the late 1990s and 2000s, Broken Hill itself was listed on the National Heritage List in 2015 and remains Australia's longest running mining town. Broken Hill, historically considered one of Australia's boomtowns , has been referred to as "The Silver City", and less commonly as the "Oasis of the West", and
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#1732775684205672-521: A twice weekly coach service to Adelaide . NSW Trainlink also operates a coach service, Coach 588, to Mildura , on Wednesdays and Fridays. Regional Express operates air services from Broken Hill Airport to and from Adelaide , Dubbo , Griffith , Melbourne via Mildura and Sydney . Silver City Scenic Flights provide local scenic flights over the city, longer air safaris to various destinations in outback Australia and also private air charter services from Broken Hill Airport . Local public transport
728-542: A viable froth flotation process. Currently the southern and northern operations are run by Perilya Limited, who plan to open further mines along the Line of Lode. In 1892 Broken Hill Gaol was built, designed by the Colonial Architect , James Barnet , who also designed the Sydney Museum , among others. Its construction cost £15,000, and was carried out by Dobbee and Son. It opened on 8 November 1892 as
784-475: Is Mildura , 300 km (190 mi) to the south and the nearest State Capital City is Adelaide , the capital of South Australia, which is more than 500 km (310 mi) to the southwest and linked via route A32, the Barrier Highway . The town is prominent in Australia's mining, industrial relations and economic history after the discovery of silver - lead - zinc ore led to the opening of various mines , thus establishing Broken Hill's recognition as
840-532: Is provided by CDC Broken Hill , operating four city bus routes from Monday to Saturday. The city is also serviced by two urban taxi companies. Broken Hill has a cold semi arid climate ( BSk ) under the Köppen climate classification . Winters in Broken Hill are relatively cool; while summers are mostly hot and dry, with the odd cold front that causes a sharp temperature drop from time to time, on account of its far western longitude exposing it to cold airmasses off
896-434: Is regarded as part of South Australia for the purposes of postal parcels rates and telephone charges. Broken Hill also used to be a break of gauge station where the state railway systems of South Australia and New South Wales met. Broken Hill is Australia's longest-lived mining city. In 1844, the explorer Charles Sturt saw and named the Barrier Range , and at the time referred to a "Broken Hill" in his diary. Silver ore
952-412: Is uncleared. Major economic activities are mining and extensive pasturing. During good seasons in the 1870s and 1880s, large sheep stations were established with high stocking rates, partly in response to a widespread belief that the introduction of agriculture would result in climate change toward European conditions. The error of this " rain follows the plough " concept was exposed by the droughts of
1008-671: The Australian Government and New South Wales Government in a bid to encourage the move away from coal generated power in favour of renewable energy . The plant was completed in 2016 and was one of the largest in Australia at the time. From 2020, the Silver City Energy Storage 200 MW / 1600 MWh (8-hour) compressed-air energy storage (CAES) facility in the Potosi mine is proposed for Broken Hill to balance local electricity. Broken Hill has never had
1064-540: The Bight . The average maximum during the summer is about 33 °C (91 °F) with an average of 25% humidity, although storms and cooler weather do occur. Broken Hill averages 157.3 clear days per year. Dust storms are a common problem in the desert, but in the late 1930s the people of Broken Hill, led by Mr Keast of the Zinc Corporation mine, created green reserves to surround the town thus protecting it from
1120-537: The Broken Hill City Council was dismissed by the NSW Minister for Local Government following a public inquiry. Parts of the town received record rainfall totals since records began in 1884, with total exceeding 140 mm (5.5 in) fell in a 24-hour period on 16 March 2022. The main street resembled a river in the floods that followed resulting in the death of one man. Broken Hill has
1176-456: The Paakantji , Mayyankapa, and Nyiimpaa. Unlike the rest of New South Wales, Broken Hill (and the surrounding region) observes Australian Central Standard Time ( UTC+9:30 ), the same time zone used in nearby South Australia . This is because at the time the Australian dominions adopted standard time, Broken Hill's only direct rail link was with Adelaide, not Sydney . Similarly, Broken Hill
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#17327756842051232-485: The Stephens Creek Reservoir was completed by a private company. The cost of water was high but not excessive and people were willing to pay because the environment was arid. Another reservoir was built at Umberumberka, however variable rainfall meant supplemental supplies by rail and rationing was still needed. In 1952, Broken Hill's demands for a permanent water supply were met with the completion of
1288-527: The Syndicate of Seven . By 1915 BHP had realised that its ore reserves were limited and began to diversify into steel production . Mining at the BHP mines at Broken Hill ceased 28 February 1939. BHP was not the only mining operation at Broken Hill though, and mining continued at the southern and northern ends of the Line of Lode. In the early 20th century, Broken Hill was a centre of mining innovation resulting in
1344-534: The "Capital of the Outback ". Although over 1,100 km (680 mi) west of Sydney and surrounded by desert, the town has prominent park and garden displays and offers a number of attractions, such as the Living Desert Sculptures. The town has a high potential for solar power , given its extensive daylight hours of sunshine. In the Broken Hill region the major Aboriginal language groups are
1400-863: The 1890s. Many of the stations established during this period failed and were subsequently abandoned. The Far West region is traversed by the Barrier Highway , the Silver City Highway , the Mitchell Highway , the Cobb Highway and the Sturt Highway . It is also served by the Sydney-Perth Railway . This Far West geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . List of Indigenous Australian group names#W This list of Australian Aboriginal group names includes names and collective designations which have been applied, either currently or in
1456-593: The 19th and early 20th century Broken Hill was home to a community of Afghans. Afghans worked as camel drivers in parts of outback Australia, and they made a significant contribution to economic growth when transport options were limited. The camel drivers formed the first sizeable Muslim communities in Australia, and in Broken Hill they left their mark in the form of the first mosque in New South Wales (1880). Far West (New South Wales) The Far West region of New South Wales , Australia refers generally to
1512-583: The British colony of India (modern day Pakistan). They killed four and wounded six, before they were killed by a group of policemen and soldiers. The battle witnessed one of the first shots on Australian soil during World War I . In 1918, the Italian Ambassador to Australia, Emilio Eles, with the help of the Australian police and the army, organised the roundup of Italian deserters working there as miners, to be forcibly sent back to Italy to fight in
1568-728: The Government take over the line and it subsequently became a narrow-gauge part of the New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) run under contract by the Silverton Tramway Company . An excursion train on the Silverton Tramway was fired on by two immigrant supporters of the wartime Ottoman Empire in 1915. They shot dead four people and wounded seven more before being killed by police and military officers. In 1919,
1624-539: The Murray River. There are four pumping stations along the route and a 720-megalitre (25-million-cubic-foot; 190-million-US-gallon) bulk water storage facility 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Broken Hill. The pipeline can supply up to 37.4 megalitres (1.3 million cubic feet; 9.9 million US gallons) of raw water per day. The city's isolation was a problem until the Adelaide narrow gauge railway link
1680-400: The area was the 1844 expedition led by soldier and explorer Charles Sturt . He was guided there along Stephens Creek by an Indigenous teenager from Menindee called Topar . Sturt saw and named the Barrier Range while searching for an inland sea; so naming it because it blocked his journey north. Pastoralists first began settling the area in the 1850s, and the main trade route to the area
1736-416: The closure and consolidation of mining operations. The estimated urban population of Broken Hill in 2021 was 17,588. The impact on Broken Hill's economy of the shrinking mining industry and the more efficient mining rates resulted in a higher proportion of part-time employment, higher employment participation rate by females, a general reduction in overall household incomes, and an increase in the average age of
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1792-683: The combination of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology 's forecast areas of Upper Western and Lower Western . It also corresponds to the Western Division established under the New South Wales Western Lands Act 1901 . The only city in the Far West is Broken Hill . Other significant towns are Bourke , Brewarrina , Cobar , Ivanhoe and Wentworth . Ninety-five per cent of the region
1848-614: The direct link to Sydney was completed. In 1937 the NSWGR placed the Silver City Comet into service – the first air-conditioned train in Australia, which ran between Broken Hill and Parkes . During World War II, land transportation between South Australia and the eastern states became important because of the threat posed by submarines and mines to coastal shipping. Extensive transshipment yards were constructed at Broken Hill in 1942 to allow transshipment of munitions. With
1904-483: The equipment was gradually removed from the Central Power Station. The mothballed Southern Power Station, now owned by remnant miner Perilya, still houses five, 9 cylinder, Nordberg marine engines and two Mirrlees V16 marine engines. In 2010, the Central Power Station (CPS) buildings were handed back to Broken Hill City Council for a proposed re-development as a film studio, due to the perceived need for
1960-514: The isotope signature of the Broken Hill deposits has been found across the entire continent of Antarctica in ice cores dating back to the late nineteenth century. The earliest human settlers in the area around Broken Hill are thought to have been the Wiljakali Indigenous Australians , once thought to have only intermittently lived in the area because of the lack of permanent water sources. The first British to enter
2016-585: The mines and timber for the timber sets used underground in mining. The Silverton Tramway Company was the most profitable railway company on the Australia Stock Exchange. The main sidings and locomotive servicing facilities were in Railwaytown, a suburb of Broken Hill, with sidings running to the south and north to serve the mines. The main passenger station was at Sulphide Street . From the later 1890s, Broken Hill Council campaigned for
2072-407: The mining town of Silverton . However, by the time the railway reached Silverton it was already being eclipsed by the newer and bigger mine at Broken Hill. The main purpose of the railway was to transport concentrates and ores from the mines to the smelters and port facilities on the coast at Port Pirie , South Australia. Backloading to Broken Hill transported supplies, principally coal for boilers at
2128-510: The over-extraction of water from the tributaries to the Darling River in the early part of the 21st century, the Menindee pipeline became an insecure supply for the city, in its harsh semi-arid climate. In April 2019, a new New South Wales Government -funded pipeline was commissioned. The pipeline was constructed in a joint venture between John Holland Group , MPC Kinetic Group and TRILITY, running 270 km (170 mi) from Wentworth on
2184-507: The past, to groups of Aboriginal Australians . The list does not include Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are ethnically, culturally and linguistically distinct from Australian Aboriginal peoples, although also an Indigenous Australian people. Typically, Aboriginal Australian mobs are differentiated by language groups. Most Aboriginal people could name a number of groups of which they are members, each group being defined in terms of different criteria and often with much overlap. Many of
2240-647: The plant. The Sulzer diesel-powered plant was completed in 1931. This was one of the earliest examples of the use of diesel power generation in Australia. The plant was enlarged in 1950 to cope with increased demand from the North Mine. At the same time, a new power station run by the Southern Power Corporation (owned by Consolidated Zinc ) was erected near the New Broken Hill Consolidated Mine to provide power to
2296-652: The policy of using the local storage for supply before using the pipeline. In 2004, due to severe drought across much of the Murray Darling Basin Catchment area, the Darling River ceased to flow and the Menindee Lakes dried out. Broken Hill essentially ran out of water, with a muddy sludge coming out of some taps around Christmas time in 2004. The high salt content of the water led to a lot of damage to evaporative air conditioners and rusted out hot water systems at an alarming rate. Due to
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2352-461: The politics of the city. Like many "outback" towns, Broken Hill was built on precious metals, having once had the world's richest deposits of lead, zinc and silver. Although now depleted somewhat, mining still yields around two million tonnes annually. Some mine tours are available. Sheep farming is now one of the principal industries in the area and there are considerably more sheep than people – almost 2 million Merino sheep. On 10 January 2007,
2408-439: The populace as the young leave seeking work. In 2021, Broken Hill had an unemployment rate of 5.5%, which was higher than the state average of 4.9%. Broken Hill has always had a small indigenous community. In recent decades, the proportion of the population identifying as Aboriginal has increased markedly; from 0.6% in 1971 to 10.0% in 2021, partly owing to the migration of non-indigenous Australians away from Broken Hill. In
2464-639: The purchase of the Sulphide Corporation by the Zinc Corporation in 1948, the modern Cockle Creek Smelter was constructed south of Newcastle . This started to take lead and zinc concentrates directly from Broken Hill via rail in the 1960s via the W44 concentrate train , marking the first major use of the rail link to the eastern seaboard. In 1970 the 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge railway from Broken Hill to Port Pirie
2520-538: The southern end of the Line of Lode. Both stations were connected to a common grid that serviced the mines on the Line of Lode . A HVDC back-to-back station with a maximum transmission rate of 40 megawatts was built at Broken Hill in 1986, to draw from the National Grid. It consists of 2 static inverters working with a voltage of 8.33 kV. After this station was operational, the two other power stations closed and
2576-518: The surface and underground workings. As Broken Hill is in a desert with little water and virtually no fuel, steam generation was an expensive option. In 1927 a plan for a central power-generating facility was proposed by F. J. Mars, consulting electrical engineer with the Central Mine. The proposed powerhouse would provide electricity and compressed air. The mines agreed and formed Western New South Wales Electric Power Pty Ltd to construct and operate
2632-493: The war. Broken Hill is also known for its input into the formation of the labour movement in Australia, and has a rich trade union history. Some of the most bitter industrial disputes have been fought in Broken Hill in 1892, 1909 and 1919. The last of these led to the formation in 1923 of the Barrier Industrial Council , a group of 18 trade unions, which became one of the most influential organisations in
2688-676: The western part of the state, which is too dry to support wheat or other crops or intensive pastoral endeavours. It is west of the North West Slopes , Central West and the Riverina . It is an area with limited rainfall. The only major rivers found in it are the Darling River and the Murray River (on its southern edge), which originate in the Great Dividing Range to the east. The region corresponds to
2744-516: The world's largest silver – lead – zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the orebody stood out as a jagged rocky ridge amongst undulating plain country on either side. This was known as the Broken Hill by early pastoralists. Miners called the ore body the Line of Lode. A unique mineral recently identified from Broken Hill has been named Nyholmite after Ron Nyholm (1917–1971). Lead with
2800-414: The worst of the storms. Dew points in the summer average between 4.6 and 7.8 °C (40.3 and 46.0 °F). In 1933, Broken Hill was the third largest urban incorporated area in New South Wales, having a population of 26,925. Broken Hill's population peaked at around 30,000 in the early 1960s and has shrunk by one third since the heyday of the 1970s zinc boom, with the decrease attributed to migration from
2856-604: Was along the Darling River . Broken Hill was founded in 1883 by boundary rider Charles Rasp , who patrolled the Mount Gipps fences. In 1883 he discovered what he thought was tin , but the samples proved to be silver and lead . The orebody they came from proved to be the largest and richest of its kind in the world. Rasp and six associates founded the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP), later BHP Billiton, and now BHP again, in 1885 as
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#17327756842052912-566: Was finally closed in 1925, resulting in a continuous route from Sydney to Broken Hill. The terminus for the train was at Crystal Street station , 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Silverton Tramway Company's Sulphide Street station . The rolling stock was transported by sea to South Australia and the railway was supervised by the superintendent of the Broken Hill Government Tramways. In 1927,
2968-509: Was finished in 1888. Since the New South Wales Government would not allow the South Australian Government to continue its 1067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow-gauge railway across the border to the mines, the last 31 kilometres (19 miles) were built and operated by a private company, the Silverton Tramway Company . "Silverton" was incorporated into the name because the railway was originally intended to serve
3024-564: Was introduced in 1996; it arrives from Sydney on Mondays at 19:10, departing Broken Hill on Tuesdays at 07:45 for the return to Sydney. NSW TrainLink also operates a daily road coach service, departing the Broken Hill Tourist Information Centre at 03:45, connecting at Dubbo with the Central West XPT to Sydney. The return journey arrives daily at 22:45. On 24 June 2019, NSW TrainLink introduced
3080-430: Was later discovered on this broken hill in 1883 by boundary rider Charles Rasp . 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's massive orebody , which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among
3136-640: Was superseded by a more heavily built 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge line, broadly following the narrow gauge route but with easier gradients and broader curves. This completed the long-awaited transcontinental rail corridor from Sydney to Perth. Broken Hill railway station is one of the stops of the Indian Pacific passenger service, operated by the Journey Beyond , from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide . The weekly NSW TrainLink Outback Xplorer service
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