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Profile - Broken Hill

Beyond the Darling River on the edge of the sundown, is where they used to say you would find Broken Hill, as if there was nowhere further to travel in Australia. Perhaps it was the feeling of suddenly being confronted by such vast space, like an inland sea rolling into the sunset.

The desolate landscape surrounding Broken Hill is like driving towards a painting of soft mauve and sage hues. It is any wonder the city has become known as a mecca for artists. It is here that the magnificent clear blue skies and the magic light are also much loved by film makers from Mad Max 2 to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

It is here that the big red roos run two hundred kilometres in a night chasing a thunderstorm, and the unique Sturt Desert Peas bloom in dark red soils.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The City of Broken Hill is the largest regional centre in the western half of New South Wales.
• It lies in the centre of the sparsely settled New South Wales Outback, close to the South Australian border and midway between the Queensland and Victorian borders.
• The nearest large population centre is Mildura in Victoria, three hundred kilometres distant to the south on the Murray River.
• The nearest large city is Adelaide, capital of South Australia, approximately 500 kilometres to the southwest.
• Because of its location Broken Hill has strong cultural and historical connections with South Australia and operates on Central Australian Time, one half hour behind Eastern Standard Time.

© 2008 Broken Hill City Council
This page: http://www.brokenhill.nsw.gov.au/about/4108.html