Broken Hill

History

The earliest human settlers in the area around Broken Hill are thought to have been the Wilyakali, a group of Aboriginal Australian people, once thought to have lived only intermittently in the area because of the lack of permanent water sources. The first British to enter the area was the 1844 expedition led by soldier and explorer Charles Sturt. He was guided there along Stephens Creek by an Indigenous teenager from Menindee called Topar. Sturt saw and named the Barrier Range while searching for an inland sea; so naming it because it blocked his journey north. Pastoralists first began settling the area in the 1850s, and the main trade route to the area was along the Darling River. Rasp and six associates founded the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP), later BHP Billiton, and now BHP again, in 1885 as the Syndicate of Seven. By 1915, BHP had realised that its ore reserves were limited and began to diversify into steel production. Mining at the BHP mines at Broken Hill ceased 28 February 1939. BHP was not the only mining operation at Broken Hill though, and mining continued at the southern and northern ends of the Line of Lode. In the early 20th century, Broken Hill was a centre of mining innovation resulting in a viable froth flotation process. Currently the southern and northern operations are run by Perilya Limited, who plan to open further mines along the Line of Lode. In 1892 Broken Hill Gaol was built, designed by the Colonial Architect, James Barnet, who also designed the Sydney Museum, among others. Its construction cost £15,000, and was carried out by Dobbee and Son. It opened on 8 November 1892 as a 90-bed facility with five prison wardens and initially holding two female and 19 male prisoners. The Battle of Broken Hill took place on New Year's Day…

Most-observed species

• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,084
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  1,022
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  843
• Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

  Acanthagenys rufogularis Gould, 1838 · Aves
  825
• Chirruping Wedgebill

  Psophodes cristatus (Gould, 1838) · Aves
  793
• Singing Honeyeater

  Gavicalis virescens (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  708
• Little Corella

  Cacatua sanguinea Gould, 1843 · Aves
  699
• Yellow-throated Miner

  Manorina flavigula (Gould, 1840) · Aves
  692

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2025-01-04
  73 km NE of Broken Hill, Australia
• M 4.3 — 2021-06-24
  New South Wales, Australia
• M 4 — 2008-10-23
  94 km SW of Broken Hill, Australia