Day #4: Broken Hill--Adventures in "Silver City"

Day #4 Adventures in "Silver City"

Two Wells to Broken Hill

Overnight the train departs the Barossa valley and passes into New South Wales, stopping at the Broken Hill station. After a hearty breakfast (sorry, did not take a photo of the menu) our group disembarked the train for the off-train experiences. Tracy opted for the "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" tour, while Dale chose the Living Desert Sculptures tour. As there were overlaps in the two experiences, we will present these first, as they offer good background information for the two separate tours

Learning About Broken Hill
All the Indian Pacific passengers took a bus tour of the town. Broken Hill is a historic mining town located in the remote outback of Australia. It’s renowned for its rich heritage tied to silver, lead, and zinc mining, which has earned it the nickname "Silver City." This rugged, resilient town is surrounded by vast red desert plains and striking landscapes that offer a classic outback experience. Established in the late 19th century, Broken Hill boasts grand heritage buildings, art galleries, and a vibrant mining history that continues to shape the town’s character today. It is home to Australia’s oldest mining company, BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary Company), which began there in 1885. The town is also known for its creative spirit, with many artists inspired by the stark beauty of the outback scenery, including dramatic rock formations and sweeping desert views. The Living Desert Reserve, with its sandstone sculptures add to its charm, making Broken Hill a unique blend of industrial legacy and cultural richness. Below is a six-minute video that explains the history of the town. Both groups took this tour via a coach ride through the town.

Heritage Tour of Silver City

Heritage Walk Photo Gallery (Click on Photo to Enlarge)

Kintore Headframe	Pro Hart Ant Sculpture	Syndicate of Seven Busts

Syndicate of Seven Placard	Trades Hall	Sulfide Street Railway Station

Broken Hill Post Office	Old Town Hall Facade	Old Central Police Station

BH Technical College & Museum	Broken Hill Courthouse	War Memorial

The Miner's Memorial
Both tours stopped at the Miner's memorial. Perched on the eastern flank of the Main Barrier Range (the lode where the mining takes place) is a Memorial to the miners past and present who have lost their lives in the pursuit of valued mineral. The site contains a small cafe, linked by a walkway to the Memorial itself, featuring rust-red steel walss with the names of the over 800 men who have lost their lives over the years, a poignat reminder of the the human cost of the pursuit of mineral wealth that made Broken Hill famous. Each entry includes the manner of death, and they are gruesome--"unplanned explosion" "tunnel collapsing" "run over by machinery" lead poisoning and silicosis--to name but a few. On the walkway between the cafe and the memorial are examples of the tools used by the miners. Below is a video tour of the Memorial.

Broken Hill Miner's Memorial


Old Mining Equipment	Mining Terninology	Memorial Wall	Miner's Roll

Sheilita Buffet Gives a Tour of Broken Hill

Tracy took the off-train experience that appealed to the drama teacher in her--a tour of Broken Hill by drag queen Sheilita Buffet, called "Off the Main Drag. Broken Hill was the location of several scenes from the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It was a walking tour of Broken Hill with commentary from a very distinct point of view.Where the other tour options only permitted guests to see the historic buildings from the bus (with the exception of the Sulfide Street Railway Museum) this tour offered a street level view of Broken Hill's Heritage buildings, although they did not go in (it was a bit early for opening times). After the tour, Sheilita took the tour to a drag club where they played "Drag Bingo" (Tracy won a large puzzle) and then it was showtime! Indian Pacific Passengers were treated to performances by Sheilita and others, and were then recruited as backup singer, replete with costumes. In addition to performing, visitors got to meet the woman responsible for the many outfits and costume changes--Sheilita Buffet's mother. An entertaining and heart warming experience all the way around.

Touring Broken Hill With Sheilita Buffet


Tracy with Sheilita Buffet	Sheilita with Backup Dancers	Shirley, Tracy, and Sarah	Couches from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The Palace Hotel
There is one landmark among the many heritage building that deserves special mention--the Palace Hotel. Dating from the late 1800's, the hotel gained its fame and flamboyant murals courtesy of an Italian immigrant who bought the hotel in the 1970's. This new decor served as on of the backdrops for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The hotel hosts a drag show once a week, and Broken Hill sponsors the "Broken Heel" drag festival every year.

The Palace Hotel


Palace Hotel Exterior	Palace Hotel Foyer	Bar and Stage Area

Stairway	Upper Hall	Wall Murals

Sulfide Street Rail and Historical Museum

The Living Desert Sculptures tour did make one stop in Broken Hill, at the Sulphide Street Rail and Historical Museum . The museum is home to the locomotives and rail cars of the original Silverton Tramway Company, a private concern that in the 1800's provided the only rail transport for people and ore. The locomotives as well as passenger cars are there for people to walk through as a guide explains the history of the Silverton Tramway Company. In addition, there are four separate museum collections in the Sulfphide Street Rail and Historical Museum. These are listed below, followed by s short video explaining the museum in more detail. We did not get to tour the Mineral museum due to time constraints--it was housed in a separate building.

Hospital Museum;a record of Broken Hills hospital and staff through photographs, signs, and medical instruments

Transport Pavilion houses original vehicles including a horse-drawn ambulance, bicycles, and rail machinery

The Migrant Museum depicts a journey of hardship and triumph over incredible odds
.The Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum focuses on the city's rich mining history and extensive mineral deposits

Christine Adams Explains the Sulfide Street Rail and Historical Museum

There is a virtual tour of Broken Hill that contains much more information. Follow this link. The tour will open in a separate browser window

The Living Desert Reserve
The Living Desert Reserve is located 9km from the city of Broken Hill, and we were transported there by bus from the Indian Pacific early morning. The reserve includes an electric predator-proof fence, protecting the flora and fauna. Competing with the striking desert views, the Living Desert Sculptures are perched on a plateau that offers striking views in all direction. The plateau is home to the Living Desert Sculptures. On April 1, 1993, artists from around the world began work on 12 sandstone sculpture in the desert outside Broken Hill. Giant sandstone blocks weighing more than 50 tons had been shipped in from the Wilcannia region for the sculpture symposium, organized by artist Lawrence Beck. Six weeks later, the artists unveiled their creations and, today, this is one of the most photographed sites in the Australian Outback. Below are two ways to view the Living Desert Scupltures. The first is a video by Youtuber The Holiday Hunter. It presents the sculptures in order, with a brief explanation. Below that is a photo gallery we made that presents the sculptures in the same order, but with a photo of the accompanying sign that explains the sculpture in more detail (although shadows make it challenging on a few of the signs).

The Living Desert Sculptures

Living Desert Photo Gallery
(click photo to enlarge)


About the Living Desert Sculptures			The Camp


Facing the Day and Night	The Bride	The Ibis	Motherhood


Moon Goddess	Angles of the Sun and Moon	Habitat	The Horse


Under the Jaguar Sun	A Present for Fred Hollows in the Afterlife	Tiwi Totems	Nhatji (Rainbow Serpent)