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.

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Lifeline, 50 years on. Important in Australia, important in Broken Hill.

Lifeline is an Australia wide 24-hour crisis support service.  It provides access to crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services via telephone 13 11 14, face to face, and through online mediums.

Lifeline's Vision is "An Australia free of suicide".

Lifeline logo from their website
Lifeline was founded 50 years ago in 1963, by the late Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker, when he took a call from a distressed man who later took his own life.  Sir Alan was determined not to let isolation and lack of support be the cause of more deaths, so he launched a 24-hour crisis support line (13 11 14).

Today, in 2013, the service answers around 1,400 calls each day, with around 50 calls from people at high risk of suicide.

There are now around 1,000 staff and 11,000 volunteers which operate in over 60 locations across Australia.



The Lifeline Broken Hill branch was established early on in the history of this wonderful organisation, in 1964.

Lifeline Broken Hill serves a population of around 24,000 people spread across 150,000 square kilometres in Far West New South Wales.  Communities serviced include Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee, White Cliffs, Tibooburra, Milparinka and Ivanhoe.  For more information about Lifeline Broken Hill, please see the link here to their website.

Art Scene
The reason I'm talking about Lifeline today is that it's time to start getting an entry ready and put a note in your diary for Lifeline Broken Hill's Annual Art Exhibition which will be held 28 June to 14 July 2013, and the closing date for entries is 21 June.

Entry forms are available at the Lifeline Broken Hill Counselling Centre -
194 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880.
Telephone (08) 8087 7525.

I went to the opening of this annual event in 2011 and it was a great night with some fantastic art on display and the art is available to purchase.

It is an extremely worthy cause.  You can donate to Lifeline from their website.

Once again, please note you can call Lifeline for crisis support 24/7 on 13 11 14.

Cheers, Jane D

Sunday 26 May 2013

Royal Flying Doctor Service 85th Anniversary

One of the six King Air B200 aircraft
receiving regular maintenance whilst I visited the
RFDS Base in Broken Hill
On 17 May 2013, the famous and equally essential Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) noted their 85th anniversary of their inaugural flight from Cloncurry to nearby Julia Creek in Queensland which took place on 17 May 1928 just two days after the founder, Presbyterian minister Rev. John Flynn officially opened the service in Cloncurry and realised his 10 year dream.

Operations at the RFDS Broken Hill Base began eight years later in 1936.

The Business Manager of the RFDS Broken Hill Visitor's Centre, Susan Williams was quoted in the Barrier Daily Truth last Monday as saying "major celebrations will be held later in the year, but they were just marking the day".

I wrote an article on the RFDS in Broken Hill on 4 February 2013, see link here to the article.

The RFDS provides medical care to people in remote areas of Australia and plays a critical role in the health of many Australians who live and work in or are visiting the outback.

RFDS logo from their website
The service has 21 bases around Australia.  The Broken Hill Base is the only base in Australia where visitors can see a working base in action every day of the week.  The Bruce Langford Visitor Centre is definitely well worth a visit when you come to Broken Hill.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time there earlier in the year.  It's really fascinating.

If you would like to financially support the RFDS you can donate via
a link from their 
website.

Cheers, Jane D

Saturday 18 May 2013

Resources and Energy Investment Symposium 2013, May 19-22

Poppet Head
Broken Hill
Mining Industry
The 3rd annualResources and Energy Investment Symposium (REIS) 2013 is on again in Broken Hill from May 19-22.  The inaugural event was held in Broken Hill in 2011, and was held again in the city last year.  So for the time being it appears to be a permanent fixture as an annual Broken Hill event.

This year's symposium will focus on the current economic climate with all the associated challenges and opportunities, both in the Australian resources industry as well as for Australia within the international market.


REIS organisers Catriona Silverston
& Michael Allendorf, courtesy
BDT Darrin Manuel
A number of high profile speakers will be providing keynote speeches.  Big names include, Dick Smith (Business Entrepreneur), The Hon Nick Minchin (former Liberal Senator, now business consultant), Mark Bennett (Sirius Resources MD & CEO), Dan Denning (The Daily Reckoning Australia, Editor), Dr John Hewson (former Liberal Party Leader and Opposition Leader and economic and financial expert), Dr Thomas Barlow (Thomas Barlow Advisory Services), Tony Locantro (Locantro's Life Speculative Investment Newsletter, Author), Hugh Wallace-Smith (Stockbroker), John Molyneux (WH Ireland Ltd, Regional Director), Stuart A. Sanderson (Colorado Mining Association, President), Dave Kanagy (Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Executive Director), David Evans (GoldNerds Pty Limited, Founder and MD), Prof Ian Plimer (Emeritus Professor of Earth Sciences).

For more details about the event including a detailed program of events, go to the REIS website www.symposium.net.au .

I am sure it will be a highly informative and fascinating event.  I heard great things about both last year and the inaugural 2011 event.

For a snapshot of what I wrote about the 2012 event, see link here to my 18 May 2012 article.

Cheers, Jane D

Thursday 16 May 2013

Broken Hill's St Barbara Festival begins Friday 17 May 2013

Saint Barbara
courtesy
commons.wikimedia.org
Community Event
Broken Hill will have a festival to honour Saint Barbara who is the patron saint of miners, artillery men and soldiers.

There will be a memorial service at Sturt Park (corner Wolfram and Sulphide Streets) this Friday (tomorrow) at 5.30pm and everyone is welcome. At the conclusion of the service eight sky lanterns will be launched.

Festivities will continue over the weekend with chalk artists creating an elaborate 3D chalk artwork at the Town Square (corner Chloride and Argent Streets) which will depict an incredible underground mining themed scene.

On Sunday, St John Ambulance (here's a link to St John Ambulance 'Facebook Page') will host a BBQ lunch from midday, also at the Town Square and there will be live music as well.  Of course, once again everyone is welcome.

It's not something you do every day, so why not get down to the square to enjoy the entertainment and perhaps reflect on a festival which acknowledges the importance of mining to the many mining communities around the world and is celebrated globally in towns with a mining history.  Those who have lost their lives in the mines are also remembered at this festival.

Jane D

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Broken Hill By-Election Results - Congratulations Christine Adams

Christine Adams courtesy
Barrier Daily Truth (BDT)
Local Government By-Election
The results of the Broken Hill City Council By-Election held last weekend were released this afternoon.

There were 6 candidates, and it was initially a close race between a couple of the candidates so preferences were needed to decide the final result.

After first preferences the tally stood at 23.70% to former councillor Christine Adams and 22.24% to well known Broken Hill photographer Robin Sellick.
Robin Sellick
courtesy BDT

Once second preferences and postal votes (which closed at 6 pm yesterday) were tallied today, the Electoral Commission NSW declared the final result this afternoon and my congratulations go to Christine ADAMS who was announced as the winner.

The other candidates were Geoff Cullenward, Tom Kennedy (a former councillor), Anne Woods and Trevor Cutjar.  Five of the candidates stood as independents including Clr Adams.  Mr Cullenward stood as a Labor candidate.

The by-election  was called due to a councillor, Mr John Groenendjik resigning earlier in the year due to ill health.

As you return to Council for another term, I wish you all the very best Clr Adams.

Cheers, Jane D

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Living Desert Sculpture Symposium's 20th Anniversary Celebrations

One of the sculptures at sunset
Community Event
Put the 18th of May in you diary for a celebration in Broken Hill as there will be simple festivities for the 20th anniversary of the famous Living Desert Sculpture Symposium.

The sculptures were completed in May 1993 and have since become a major Broken Hill tourist attraction.  I love going to the Sculpture Symposium when I'm visiting the City.  They are an amazing site especially at sunset and sunrise, but you can go anytime to enjoy them.

Council will waive the admission fee to the site and have a free sausage sizzle and cool drinks for visitors between 11am and 1pm on 18th of May.

Twelve international sculptors created the works from 52 tonnes of sandstone from Wilcannia which is about 196 km east of Broken Hill.

In recognition of Broken Hill's mining past, the sculptors used miner's old tungsten chisels to create their works of art.

Cheers, Jane D

Monday 6 May 2013

Hello - привіт from www.ilovebrokenhill.com to readers in the Ukraine

Ukraine flag from commons.wikimedia.org
You may be surprised to learn that many readers of www.ilovebrokenhill.com come from the Ukraine. (USA and Australia make up the largest reader groups).

Perhaps some of you are ex Broken Hill residents or maybe you are Broken Hill travellers visiting the Ukraine.

Whatever the case, I would just like to say hello (привіт) to readers from the Ukraine. (I hope I've got that translation right - see below).

I have tried to look up the correct translation of 'hello' in Ukrainian, and I am finding quite a few different answers from Google searches.  I hope at least one of the following translations makes sense/is correct ...

translate.google.com  привіт

Wikitravel.org suggested  Добрий день. (DOH-brihy dehn')

The variety of suggestions surprised me (I haven't put them all in).  Apparently there are 18 languages in the Ukraine according to Wikipedia so this could explain the many options.

Feel free to write a comment on your Ukrainian perspective of Broken Hill.

So in the words of wikitravel.com (goodbye) До побачення. (do poh-BAH-cheh-nyah)

Cheers, Jane D