Travel Guide Broken Hill

Closer to Adelaide (500 km) than Sydney (1,200 km), the town's watches are set to Adelaide time, which is half an hour behind the rest of the state.Broken Hill owes its fame to its gigantic lodes of silver, lead and zinc, which contributed to the rise of the entire nation before the industry collapsed. In 1970, the town had a population of nearly 35,000.The birthplace of Kevin Charles, considered the father of the Outback movement in Australian painting, Broken Hill has attracted a community of artists from this movement over the years. These artists are known as the"Brushmen of the Bush" and exhibit their work in the town's galleries.The town is split in two by the huge artificial hill that houses the former BHP Billiton mine. At its summit, the miners' memorial is easily visible.You can discover the different facets of the town and its surroundings by following the Heritage Trail, a fifteen-kilometer signposted route to follow by car, or the Heritage Walk, a two-hour self-guided tour of the town itself. You'll discover that the town's streets are named after minerals.Broken Hill is one of the stations on the famous Indian Pacific train line, which runs from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide.