About

ABOUT
ilovebrokenhill.com , was first published on 8 December 2011 by Jane Deany. My blog is all about the famous outback Australian National Heritage Listed City named Broken Hill, located in the state of New South Wales. I first visited #BrokenHill in 2002 and have returned many times since then. ilovebrokenhill.com will help you discover what's great about this historic mining city, where in the mid 1880's the line of lode, a rich ore body of silver, lead and zinc was found. You will find stories about anything related to Broken Hill.

Saturday 28 February 2015

Oddfellows - Picnic Day Broken Hill 1 January 1915 ... by Nicholas Shakespeare

Book cover via www.randomhouse.com.au
'Oddfellows - Picnic Day Broken Hill 1 January 1915 An Unexpected Enemy Attack' by Nicholas Shakespeare, is a recently released historical fiction novel set in Broken Hill.

It's release on 2 January 2015 has come at the time of the 100 year anniversary of the Picnic Day Attack in Broken Hill on 1 January 1915. 

On that New Years day of 1915, four citizens were killed and seven wounded in Broken Hill, when two Muslims from the nearby cameleers' camp opened fire on the annual Order of Oddfellows picnic train, from an ice-cream cart embellished with the Turkish flag.

Mullah (Molla) Abdullah and Badsha Mahommed Gool (Gul Mehmed) killed three men and a teenage girl (some reports describe six victims), before they were themselves shot dead. This was the only enemy attack to take place in Australia during World War I, and has become known as 'The Battle of Broken Hill'. This little known piece of history has been interwoven into a novella (128 pages).

The Independent '20th-century terrorists: The bizarre story of two jihadis in the Australian outback by Nicholas Shakespeare, 28 February 2015 - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/20thcentury-terrorists-the-bizarre-story-of-two-jihadis-in-the-australian-outback-10069702.html

Sydney Arts Guide book review by Richard Cotter, 1 January 2015 - http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/nicholas-shakespeare-new-book-oddfellows/

The book is published by Random House - http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/nicholas-shakespeare/oddfellows-9780857987181.aspx

Happy reading, cheers, Jane Deany

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Artists painting Broken Hill - two exhibitions - Guy Maestri and Laura Courtney

Art Scene
In the latest - February 2015 - issue of the Art Almanac magazine, I noticed two exhibitions featuring Broken Hill as the subject matter of at least some of the art being exhibited.

Archibald Prize (2009) winning artist Guy Maestri will be exhibiting at the -

Jan Murphy Gallery in Queensland from 24 February until 21 March 2015.

Address - 486 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Qld 4006

Here's a link to information about the exhibition which is titled 'Black Gold' -

http://www.art-almanac.com.au/2015/01/guy-maestri-black-gold/

and in my hometown Melbourne -

Laura Courtney - Trades Hall, Broken Hill 2014
The exhibition 'oxide, bluestone & crows' opened yesterday.

Exhibition dates - 17 February until 8 March 2015.

Address - 35 Derby Street, Collingwood Vic 3066

I visited the exhibition and it's great. There are 18 works including 5 with #BrokenHill as the subject.

Link to further information -
http://www.australiangalleries.com.au/exhibitions/14-currentexhibition/822-courtney-ds13


Even outside Broken Hill, you're never far away form the City's special influence.

Cheers, Jane Deany

Thursday 12 February 2015

ABC's new 'Outback ER' show set in Broken Hill Hospital

Set in Broken Hill's Far West Local Health District, ABC TV has filmed an eight part documentary series which begins tonight at 8pm Thursday 12th February 2015. Each episode is 30 minutes.

To quote the ABC
"Experience just how different a life-threatening crisis can be in one of the most isolated locations on earth, Broken Hill. Meet the incredible emergency response team personnel who live and work in this remote region."

Here are a couple of related links.

http://www.screentime.com.au/blog/outback-er/

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/outback-er/DO1405H001C00DT1

Sounds a fascinating show.

Cheers, Jane Deany

Sunday 8 February 2015

Broken Hill has one of Australia's oldest mosques writes ABC & holds links to cameleers

Broken Hill has one of Australia's oldest mosques, and the oldest mosque in New South Wales reports ABC #BrokenHill 's Alexandra Back and Jacqueline Breen.

In a tweet on 6 February 2015 my attention was drawn to their report from the previous day, that the mosque is one of the last links to the cameleers.
It's an interesting story which came to light as Broken Hill remembered the 100th anniversary of the Picnic Train attack in 1915.

The story is fascinating insight into yet another intriguing part of Broken Hill's history.

Cheers, Jane Deany

Monday 2 February 2015

ABC 3 showcases what it means for Broken Hill to be Australia's first Heritage Listed City

ABC 3 to showcase what it means for Broken Hill to be Australia's first Heritage Listed City.

Neve Robins was selected by the ABC to report on #BrokenHill's Heritage City listing. The coverage will air on ABC 3 at 10am Tuesday 3 February 2015 on 'Behind the News'.


Should make for interesting viewing.

Cheers, Jane Deany