My Nanna's Place

25/08/2026

07/08/2026

04/08/2026

31/07/2026

Broken Hill was built by one of Australia’s richest mineral discoveries.

After Charles Rasp identified silver-bearing ore in 1883, the Line of Lode triggered a rush. BHP was formed there in 1885, and the city became synonymous with silver, lead and zinc. Mining wealth funded railways, smelters, unions and a workforce large enough to turn an isolated settlement into a mining centre.

The population tells the story clearly.

Broken Hill had about 11,000 residents by 1888. By 1933, it held 26,925 people, and the population reached around 30,000 during the early 1960s, when the mines supported thousands of jobs.

Then consolidation, mechanisation and declining labour requirements changed everything.

The city had around 20,900 residents in 2001. By the 2021 Census, that figure had fallen to roughly 17,700. Fewer mining jobs meant fewer young families, while an ageing population and lost businesses reinforced the decline.

But Broken Hill isn’t finished.

Broken Hill Mines operates the Rasp silver-lead-zinc mine, with capacity to process 750,000 tonnes annually and about 118 workers and contractors. Perilya also continues mining through its Broken Hill operations, including the Southern Operations complex.

The city is smaller, quieter and less dependent on one giant workforce than before. Mining remains its largest employer, while healthcare, tourism, services and renewable energy give the local economy broader foundations.

So, is Broken Hill broken?

Not exactly.

It has lost much of its mining scale, but the orebody that created the city is still producing commercially today, more than 140 years after Rasp’s discovery.

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Photo: New Matilda / Creative Commons (Flickr)
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25/07/2026

Australian Ringneck ( Mallee). Today my mallee,s returned to say hi and enjoy feeding on my native Ruby Saltbash berries in my garden. Photo taken 24.7.2026.

22/07/2026