Broken Hill Area - Broken Hill

Broken Hill gives true meaning to the expression Living Outback. Among the rugged beauty and dusty landscape of the region, the city is a soothing green oasis in the harsh desert, with lush green parks and gardens.

Known as the Silver City, Broken Hill was the site of the world's richest deposit of silver, lead and zinc. You can visit a simulated mine or the real thing where you don lights and helmets to enter the subterranean world miners experienced during the 1890s and the 1960s. Historic and working mines include Deprats, Day Dream and Pinnacle Mines - all open for tours.

Broken Hill today is a vibrant mecca for artists and film-makers. It has more than 20 art galleries and is home to more than 90 professional and semi professional artists who draw inspiration from the surrounding landscape.

Movies such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mad Max 2, and Razorback among others were all filmed in the city.

Call into the Palace Hotel, the historic, three-story pub with its long verandas and elaborate cast-iron balustrades, featured in Priscilla. The Silverton Hotel is also famous and known for great hospitality and quirky locals.

Heritage walking tours take in many outstanding old buildings in the town.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and School of the Air are worth a visit. You can tour the aircraft hangar or the radio room, which handles calls to and from remote towns and stations. Covering 80 per cent of Australia, the RFDS treats about 160,000 patients each year.