Day 21
Thursday, 4th October
Broken Hill - Silverton + return
Broken Hill
Silverton
Broken Hill
Distance Traveled
Today - 60 km
Total - 7054 km
Blog
Broken Hill for the day.
We started by going to Pro Harts Gallery. That was great.
There are many other artworks besides his own. There is even a room dedicated to William Dobel.
We then went and looked at a couple of other galleries.
This town is so full of galleries that there is even one gallery where each painting has a number. If you like it, then you get a card with the map directions from there to that artist's gallery.
We checked out a great photographer and then a mosaic artist.
Each artist has a section of their house or yard for their work and you just walk in and browse around. They also have a jar for a donation to keep themselves supported. I didn't pick this concept up until later.
We then headed off to Silverton.
A small little town just 23km out of Broken Hill. This town is the setting for over 140 movies and commercials including "Mad Max 2" and "A Town Like Alice".
The Silverton pub has pictures all around it with the film crews and actors. There are about 20 photos with the pub with a different banner each time.
We checked out 2 galleries in Silverton and then had the biggest country lunch ever. This was run by ex-shearer cooks and the meals were huge and delicious.
After lunch we checked out another 2 galleries, the pub and then the museum which is the old goal (jail).
A very picturesque little town.
We drove out the other side of Silverton to the lookout to the Mundi Mundi plain. From here you can actually see the curviture of the earth. On a clear day (today) you can see for over 140 kms to the horizon.
Further on we stopped and looked at the old pumping station for the Broken Hill water supply. There is also a picnic area near the water as this is the only water around for 100s of kms.
On the way back to Broken Hill we stopped at the Daydream Underground Mine.
This is a hand dug mine out in the middle of nowhere. It was dug over 100 years ago and has been productive 3 times. They used to dig up the ore and get it carted to England to get smeltered until they finally built there own smelter.
The tunnels where very small and the conditions would have been very rough. The kids used to start working in the mine when they were 8 years old with only 1 day off each week to go to school.
Most of the men died early due to respiratory problems. Most babies wouldn’t make it passed two years old, mostly due to the dirty water and harsh conditions.
We headed back to Broken Hill and checked out the old winch and lift for lowering the men into the shafts of the large mines.
There was a large statue by Pro Hart with an ant on top representing the mine and the men-ant diggers.
We drove up the huge pile of rubble that has been pulled out of the mine and discarded. It is so large that it is higher than the towns natural lookout.
On top they have build a couple of buildings including a restaurant, giftshop and memorial, and a huge carpark.
The giftshop was full of paintings, most of which we have seen around the different galleries within the town.
We had a small dinner back at camp and an early night.
Pro Hart sculpture at Broken Hill
Pro Hart scupture at Broken Hill
Pro Hart scupture at Broken Hill
Pro Hart sculpture at Broken Hill
Pro Hart's painted car
The Pro Hart gallery, Broken Hill
Pro Hart sculpture made with guns
The Mosaic gallery, Broken Hill
The mosaic gallery, Broken Hill
The mosiac gallery, Broken Hill
The mosiac gallery, Broken Hill
The mosaic gallery, Broken Hill
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Wild camel outside of Silverton, near Broken Hill
Silverton. A small town near Broken Hill. They have made over 140 movies and commercials at this picturesque town.
The Silverton church. Just waiting for photos or to be painted.
Gallery at Silverton
Outside gallery at Silverton
The next gallery at Silverton
This is where we will have lunch. There is actually another building to the right.
An after lunch gallery
Hey, isn't that from the mosaic place. It surely is.
A Mad Max 2 replica car outside Silverton pub
Me with Mad Max's car outside the Silverton pub.
Looking over the Mundi Mundi plains. You can see 140km from here and the curvature of the earth.
The kids at the Mundi Mundi plains lookout
An antique machine at the reservoir that give Broken Hill its water supply.
Part of the old pumping station for the Broken Hill water supply.
Another lookout to the Mundi Mundi plains
Back to Silverton
The Silverton Goal.
A Silverton Goal prisoner
The outside excercise yard at the Silverton Goal
The old Day Dream Mine township. It used to have a population of 500
Ruins of the old Day Dream Mine township
The Day Dream Mine
Holes in the ground everywhere here. This is an old unused mine
Old mining equipment
The entrance to the Day Dream Mine. We enter somewhere here.
A miner coming up for air
It goes a long way down there.
Miners. They used to start them at this age.
Up and out of the mine again
Day Dream Mine
The old Winch from the number one mine
Broken Hill. The number one winch and man elevator
Broken Hill. Pro Harts art to the miners
What it is all about. Rocks.
What do you do with all the rock that you pull out of the ground that is rubbish... build an resturant on top of it. We will now drive up this artificial hill.
An old mine on top of the hill
Push that cart, fellows
Looking over Broken Hill
Another view over Broken Hill
The rocks of Broken Hill
A chair built so you can remember what it was like to be little
A bunch of little people.
Trying out the machinery at Broken Hill.