Finding the quirky in Broken Hill

Our first stop in Broken Hill was a visit to the Pro Hart Gallery.  It set the scene for a city that thrives on the quirky and eclectic, from Priscilla to mining, from outback to urbanisation, from the arts to the history, Broken Hill is a city with a little bit of everything life can dish up.

And after visiting the gallery I gained a new-found respect for the artist. Prior to visiting Broken Hill my soul knowledge of Pro Hart was from the Dupont carpet ad back in the 80s, where the artist painted with food directly onto a carpet and the cleaner decried “Oh Mr Hart, what have you done?”.

But the gallery changed my views, his artwork is amazing, as are his cars, which are also painted. So, the carpet ad wasn’t too much of a stretch, it just didn’t reveal his artistic brilliance.

From there we headed into town and did the heritage walk, taking in the historic old buildings that make up the old part of town. I love to walk through city centres, to see the city unfold with each step and breathe in the soul of a place. Sadly, many of the shops in Broken Hill were closed – because it was a Sunday and because of COVID. 

But it is an interesting old town.

Broken Hill is Australia’s oldest mining town, dating back to the 1880s. It is rich in silver, lead and zinc. The impact of mining is difficult to ignore, it cuts through the town and is visible from almost everywhere.

The tailings mountains which surround the city centre ensure the mining presence is felt throughout. And the Miners Memorial, which sits overlooking the city centre, is a stark reminder of the dangers of mining as it celebrates the life and history of mining and the more than 800 miners who have lost their lives working in the town.

But it’s the meeting of outback and regional city that make this place interesting for me. The sunsets and dusk skies on the outskirts of the city are the kind that can only be seen in vast expanses of openness. And yet in town are funky cafes, quirky artworks and beautiful old buildings.

And what surprised me, what I had not expected was the cold. Temperatures down to 10 degrees in the early evening (the Bureau of Meteorology app told me it felt like 1.4 degrees, no wonder I was cold).

I had expected that as we moved higher up across Australia, into the middle, temperatures would rise and I’d be pulling out the shorts. 

It’s still far too cold for that!

We finished our walk of the city centre at the Palace Hotel where they filmed Priscilla Queen of the Desert. As well as the movie, the pub is famous for the amazing murals that adorn the walls and the ceilings. But I really just came for the giant shoe and the feather boas. You can really never have too much pink and glitz.

At sunset we drove out to the Living Museum and Sculpture Symposium, where artists from around the world have created stone sculptures to adorn the landscape. A short walk takes you through the structures and information boards give details about the works. It’s here that the outback is on full display and the great expanse of nothingness really hits you. The artwork bridges the divide between the outback and the built environment, but, as always, the sunset – and the changing light in the desert surrounding us – steals the show. 

And just when you think Broken Hill has offered up all its secrets, a quick drive out to Silverton reveals still more.

In contrast to Broken Hill’s links to Priscilla, scenes from Mad Max and A Town Like Alice were filmed in Silverton. We wandered through the old gaol, which is now a museum filled to the brim with eclectic items from over the years and were given a very informative history of the town by the man on the front desk. It was a dust bowl, but a dust bowl with an interesting history, some lovely old buildings and a strong sense of quirk.

Fast Facts

We travelled in 2021.

We stayed at the Starview Campsite.

We were here for three nights.

Was it long enough? We were meant to stay for two, but car trouble forced us to stay one more night. It was a rush to see everything in the time we had, a little more time would have been better.

Highlights: I really enjoyed the  Pro Hart Gallery.I wasn’t a fan before visiting, but the gallery gave me a better appreciation of his work. Silverton was fascinating.

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