The one-time mining capital of , way out west in , has a rich history and a surprisingly strong connection to the arts. Ute Junker plumbs the hidden depths of this remote town. Art & the

ells Milk Bar is certainly not your average outback water- Bing hole. Belly up to the bar in search of a thirst-quencher and, instead of an amber ale, you’ll be served a good old-fashioned milk- shake. With genuine 1950s interiors and a nice line in lime spiders and malted milks, Bells is a rare find. It’s also a Broken Hill landmark, having served the community since 1892. “It is so old, it is back in fashion,” says owner Jason King, an out-of- towner who took over Bells in 2004. He says many locals remember the days when, after pub closing at 6pm, the milk bar and movies were the only entertainment in town. “As children, they would walk down to the milk bar with the billy- can to get ice-cream to take home on a hot summer night.” 

Sculpture Symposium in the Living Desert Sanctuary outside Broken Hill PHOTOGRAPHY: BROKEN HILL CITY COUNCIL

JUNEMAY 2014 QANTAS 49 Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery; Big Bench on the Line of Lode (below)

BROKEN HILL’S HERITAGE HAS SURVIVED THROUGH A MIXTURE OF LUCK AND PLANNING

Broken Hill, in far west New South Wales, is a city that wears its past on its sleeve. That is made easier by the fact that so much of that past is still standing, from the grandeur of the mighty Trades Hall, which celebrates the power of the working man, to the humble “tinnies”, homes made of corrugated-iron sheets, in which those workers lived. The town is bullish about its prospects of being added to the National ­Heritage List, with a decision expected this year. Broken Hill’s heritage has survived through a mixture of luck and planning. According to King, “The town’s heyday stopped suddenly, massive mullock heap formed in the mining process, bisects the and the real estate was not valuable enough for things to be knocked town and looms over it, the most imposing topographical feature for down and turned into something else.” miles. Even the town’s streets pay tribute to the mining process, with More recently, the council has used low-interest loans and fund names such as Argent, Silver, Chloride, Bromide, Sulphide, Mica, matching to encourage property owners to preserve heritage Silica, Tin and Bismuth. features and use appropriate paint colours. It’s an approach at odds with the popular image of Broken Hill as BROKEN HILL HAS RIDDEN OUT its share of booms a rough-and-ready outpost. The town occupies a special place in and busts, including the departure of BHP in 1939. Increasing ’s popular imagination, both as the birthplace of BHP mechanisation in the following decades decimated jobs. Mining (Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited) and for its isolation – the continues, albeit on a much smaller scale. nearest big city, Adelaide, is more than 500km away. It’s perceived The population has declined from a peak of about 30,000 in 1962 as a tough town, a place where only the most rugged could survive. to fewer than 19,000 in the 2011 census. Yet locals say it’s too early However, Broken Hill has hidden depths – no pun intended. to count Broken Hill out. Mayor Wincen­ Cuy says the town has a The town was born in 1885, when miners hit upon one of the world’s history of picking itself up. largest single-source deposits of silver, lead and zinc: to date, it has “Isolation has been our strength. We’ve had to be creative to make produced more than 300 million tonnes of ore. Mining has shaped things happen, to survive.” Certainly, many of those people who

BIG BENCH PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES Broken Hill literally as well as metaphorically. The Line of Lode, the left the town for the big smoke are now gradually returning. 

JUNE 2014 QANTAS 51 PROSPECT BROKEN HILL

They include Catherine Farry, manager of the Broken the Hash House Harriers who, as far as I can tell, go for Hill Regional Art Gallery, considered one of Australia’s runs and drink lots of beer,” she says. best regional galleries. Housed in the former Sully’s Broken Hill also has a surprisingly strong artistic ­Emporium, the gallery was built around a collection tradition, with more than 30 galleries open to the public. donated by George McCulloch, one of the founders of BHP “A university study found that Broken Hill has the highest – an example of the town’s strong philanthropic bent. proportion of artists [anywhere in Australia] who can live Farry was born and raised in Broken Hill but, like many off their art,” says Farry. Or, as Mayor Cuy says, “Our of her friends, she left town part-way through year 12, forefathers would be rolling in their graves if they knew we ­finishing her HSC in Sydney. “Most of us couldn’t wait to now have more art galleries than pubs.” leave, we thought it was so boring,” she says, before adding, “Many of us are back here now.” THE CITY’S ARTISTIC flowering can be traced Initially, Farry returned to spend some time with her back to 1973, when an exhibition in Sydney highlighted grandmother, who was then 92. But after being offered a five artists who became known as the “Brushmen of the job and meeting the man who would become her husband, Bush” – Pro Hart, Jack Absalom, John Pickup, Hugh she decided to stay. Schulz and Eric Minchin. The Brushmen had varied Her accidental trajectory is, she says, not unusual. backgrounds – Absalom was a kangaroo shooter, Hart a “­People get transferred to work in the hospital, the schools miner, Schulz a prospector – but while they shared a love or the mine, and end up staying. You hear stories about of the landscape, their work is diverse. people whose cars break down and they never leave.” “They could do the same scene and the results would be Bells’ owner Jason King is another who is surprised to very different,” Farry says. “Schulz has a naïve quality, have stayed on. “I never thought I’d get attached here, but where Minchin is very refined, with a high degree of the community really welcomed me. The community here detail.” What they do share, however, is a sense of person- is so strong – they have been through so much. Broken Hill ality, which Farry regards as typical of the outback. is my home now.” “These were big personalities, legendary for their wit, Thanks to the internet and satellite TV, outback life isn’t their expressiveness,” she says. as isolated as it once was, but Farry says Broken Hill has The links between art and mining are still apparent. One always had a strong social scene thanks to sporting clubs, of the town’s more intriguing galleries belongs to Kevin movie clubs, even a gourmet dining club. “We also have “Bushy” White, who uses minerals rather than paints 

OUR FOREFATHERS WOULD BE ROLLING IN THEIR GRAVES IF THEY KNEW WE NOW HAVE MORE ART GALLERIES THAN PUBS

The Line of Lode Miners Memorial PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES that bisects Broken Hill Broken bisects that heap mullock the atop memorial Lode of Line MEANWHILE, BROKEN HILL BROKEN HILL MEANWHILE, at sunset. best at their are works The art trails. walking good several has located, are sculptures 12 symposium’s the where Sanctuary, Desert Living the and endeavour impressive an it’s still However, three-dimensional. defiantly pieces –their exception the were Union, Soviet former the in Georgia, from Two reliefs. artists than more little works their stone, hard the by defeated were sculptors of the most Farry. says needed,” they support practical the them gave –they for them tools their sharpened people for them, Club cooked Rotary “The community. on the relying themselves found sculptors the of and money short ran The project rock. hard incredibly an granite, sandstone up with ended they on, eye his had Beck stone town. outside desert the in gallery open-air an world to create the around from sculptors he invited council, local the from funding With Beck. of Lawrence brainchild the was 2013, in anniversary 20th its celebrated which Symposium, Sculpture Desert The Living dream. to a quixotic a tribute as seen be can attraction artistic famous most The city’s falter. can dreams where aplace it’s also painters, fascinating. are gallery, of a mining a replica in displayed mines, the down of life recreations detailed the For work. outsiders, his to create 54 2014 QANTAS JUNE near near project farm awind and project power solar a53-megawatt for both –plans energy clean and tourism include areas target Key future. can go down into an actual mine – fascinating, but not recommended but not recommended –fascinating, mine actual an into go down can they buildings, heritage and galleries exploring as well As holidays. on self-drive are manyvisitors And to Melbourne. Mildura via Dubbo; and to Sydney, Adelaide direct towns: and cities major it with connects airport The city’s underway. well are consumption) power NSW of current cent per up to 4.5 generate eventually could watts, Despite borrowing tungsten carbide hand tools from local miners, miners, local from tools hand carbide tungsten borrowing Despite ­ soft of the Instead not go smoothly. did Things as themselves reinvent can miners where a place is Hill Broken If Silverton (which, with a potential capacity of up to 1000 mega of up to 1000 capacity a potential with (which, ­Silverton is making plans for the for the plans making is - sand Wilcannia -

it.” about up talking when tear even will of them –many hours five next for the off they’re and topic landscape onto of the the them Get poetic. deeply also but they’re diamonds, rough They’re alife. make and to go out there person special community. the and landscape it.” with on board they’re more the idea, the insane more and crazier “The vision. her embraced council the says student, work. Douglas’ and region the exploring adocumentary as filmed be will The project boat. the of after-shadow an creating bloom, will wildflowers anticipates she water, with floor desert the drenching it melts, After town. outside Promise titled installation an 2015), in be will production (the full-scale year this July-August in aprototype as up to begin lined Douglas Simone York-based New artist Australian-born, from project church. romanesque a refurbished in kitchen equipped afully- and bedrooms three has brokenhilloutbackchurchstay.com), Street, Patton (125-129 Stay Church Outback Hill Broken the lodging, luxurious most town’s The (mountgippsstation.com.au). outback of the ataste offers station, sheep aworking Gippsat Station, Mount afarmstay although offerings, or four-star to three- limited largely is Accommodation 5428). 8087 08 Street, Argent (393 building Astra ornate the inside Trinder’sRestaurant and 7000), 8088 08 Street, Argent (354 for Hotel lunch Royal former the in & Harry’s operations. mines’ the throughout lives their who lost miners 800 the commemorating of Lode, Line top of the on sits that memorial majestic the –or visit claustrophobic for the “They are quintessential Australian characters. It takes a really areally It takes characters. Australian quintessential are “They the for love both of adeep because Hill Broken chose she She says a was she since Hill Broken visiting been whohas Douglas, a startling with continuing, also is to art commitment The council’s Dick Thom, including options, dining good several has The town . Douglas is planning to build a 35m boat of ice in the desert desert the of in ice boat a35m to build planning is . Douglas or visit qantas.com visit or 13 13 13 on Qantas call Hill Broken to

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES