Broken Hill is a great place to come for the summer school holidays. It's no hotter in summer than other cities around Australia, for example Perth, Melbourne or Sydney. It is a nice dry heat too. So this is my annual post about some of the best things to do and see when visiting Broken Hill and the surrounding district.
Broken Hill mining landscape with full moon at sunrise |
- it's not as busy as in the peak seasons of Autumn or Spring;
- as it's off-peak, there are often better prices for accommodation etc... and other special deals to be found. Just ask the tourism operator if there are any school holiday specials; and
- with less tourists, photo opportunities are easier at popular tourist attractions such as the 'Living Desert Sculpture Park'. The sculptures themselves are a fantastic attraction and are set in a striking location which photographers flock to it. It's a great spot for a sunset picnic. Sunrise is spectacular too and not as busy.
Popular 'photogenic' sculpture at sunset |
Regardless of when you visit, there are lots of great things to see and do.
Some of my favourite attractions include the -
- Living Desert Sculpture Park
- Miner's Memorial
- Line of Lode
- Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum
- Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum aka GeoCentre
- The Broken Hill Musician's Club which has its own art gallery.
Art
I love the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery in Argent Street. It is housed in an historic building, Sully's Emporium, and has an excellent regional gallery collection. There is always an impressive and sometimes thought provoking exhibition on the go.
There are about 24 or so other galleries in Broken Hill and nearby Silverton. You can find a list of all of the galleries in the region at the foot of this website. Alternatively you can go to www.ilovebrokenhill.com 's sister website www.artofbrokenhill.com which also lists the galleries. www.artofbrokenhill.com will eventually contain more comprehensive information about various local galleries, art groups, artists, art organisations and possibly art events from the region.
Here is a list of some more local attractions -
- Living Desert and Sculptures (9km North Broken Hill, off Nine Mile Road)
- Miner's Memorial and Visitors Centre (on top of the Line of Lode)
- Broken Earth Complex (on top of the Line of Lode)
- Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum (GeoCentre) - corner Crystal and Bromide Streets - 08 8080 3500
- Line of Lode (big hill {tailings/mullock heap-former ore body} in middle of Broken Hill)
- Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum - Blende Street
- Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery - 404 Argent Street - 08 8080 3440
- Galleries - see www.artofbrokenhill.com for a list of galleries or the bottom of this site
- Bell's Milk Bar and Museum - 160 Patton Street, South Broken Hill - 08 8087 5380
- Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Bruce Langford Visitor Centre - Airport end of Bonanza Street - 08 8080 3714
- School of the Air - Lane Street - 08 8087 3565
- Trades Hall (see below) - corner Blende and Sulphide Streets - 08 8087 5258
Historic Trades Hall Building |
- RSL Hall of Fame - Argent Street
- Historic Day Dream Mine (20km NW Broken Hill, off Silverton Road) - 08 8088 5682
- Argent Street - main Broken Hill shopping strip which includes beautiful old buildings such as the Town Hall Facade and the famous The Palace Hotel (internal murals, 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' movie fame amongst other things. Two-up is also played there weekly)
- White's Mineral Art and Living Mining Museum - 1 Allendale Street - 08 8087 2878
- Patton Village - Patton Street, South Broken Hill
- Film Studio Precinct - Eyre Street, South Broken Hill
- Social clubs including
- the Broken Hill Musician's Club (Muso Club) - 276 Crystal Street, includes gallery - 08 8088 1777
- The Barrier Social Democratic Club (Demo Club) - 218 Argent Street - 08 8088 4477
- The Sturt Club - 321 Blende Street - 08 8087 4541
- Club Legion - 170 Crystal Street - 08 8087 4064
- Silverton (town about 25km west of Broken Hill) - numerous sites
- Mundi Mundi plains (just beyond Silverton a few kilometres)
Accommodation
As you can see there is a lot to do in and around Broken Hill. Perhaps you should book an extra night or two, you may need it and there is a wide variety of accommodation available.
The Broken Hill Visitor Information website lists lots of attractions, as well as many accommodation options (although not all are listed on that site) - check their website www.brokenhillaustralia.com.au . The Visitor Information Centre is located on the corner of Bromide and Blende Streets.
Line of Lode view with Miner's Memorial (left) and Broken Earth Complex (right) |
Dining
There are plenty or restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs and takeaways to enjoy a delicious meal and parks to enjoy a picnic.
Swimming
There are a couple of options to cool down and go for a swim (apart from the motel pool). There is the fantastic Broken Hill Regional Aquatic Centre which includes an outdoor 50m pool and an indoor 25m pool, an adventure/water slide and disabled access. I've seen Kangaroos grazing on the lawn just outside the centre.
If you feel like something more beachy, there is a huge water body - Menindee Lakes about 110 kms south east of the city which is a beautiful spot to include in your visit, as is the nearby Kinchega National Park and the famous huge shearing shed.
The road to Silverton. You never know what you might see! |
Look at more Broken Hill images on @ilovebrokenhill 's Pinterest account or Tweet special Broken Hill finds to @ilovebrokenhill on Twitter.
Why not follow ilovebroken.hill Google+ as well. We're just getting started there.
Of course there's an ilovebrokenhill.com Facebook page as well. Please like us there and spread the word about Broken Hill, this fabulous outback Australian city located in far west New South Wales.
Enjoy your holidays, drive safely and pack some extra water just in case.
Cheers, Jane Deany
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