Broken Hill
Broken Hill is a city in the far west region of outback New South Wales, Australia. An inland mining city, is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is 315 m (1,033 ft) above sea level, with a hot desert climate, and an average rainfall of 235 mm (9.3 in). The closest major city is Mildura, 300 km (190 mi) to the south and the nearest State Capital City is Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, which is more than 500 km (310 mi) to the southwest and linked via route A32.
| Broken Hill New South Wales | |||||||||
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Argent Street, Broken Hill's main street | |||||||||
Broken Hill Location in New South Wales, near the border of South Australia | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 31°57′S 141°28′E | ||||||||
| Population | 17,456 (UCL 2021) | ||||||||
| Established | 1883 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2880 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 315 m (1,033 ft) | ||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACDT (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||
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| County | Yancowinna | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Barwon | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Parkes | ||||||||
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The town is prominent in Australia's mining, industrial relations and economic history after the discovery of silver ore led to the opening of various mines, thus establishing Broken Hill's recognition as a prosperous mining town well into the 1990s. Despite experiencing a slowing economic situation into the late 1990s and 2000s, Broken Hill itself was listed on the National Heritage List in 2015 and remains Australia's longest running mining town.
Broken Hill, historically considered one of Australia's boomtowns, has been referred to as "The Silver City", and less commonly as the "Oasis of the West", and the "Capital of the Outback". Although over 1,100 km (680 mi) west of Sydney and surrounded by desert, the town has prominent park and garden displays and offers a number of attractions, such as the Living Desert Sculptures. The town has a high potential for solar power, given its extensive daylight hours of sunshine. In the Broken Hill region the major Aboriginal language groups are the Paakantji, Mayyankapa, and Nyiimpaa.