Seen around the Line of Lode, Broken Hill, N.S.W.

The origins of mining in Broken Hill date back to 1885 ...

Brownes Shaft

Concentration Mill 1897

Signage reads: This jagged black outcrop is the weathered surface expression or gossan of the Broken Hill orebody.  At the time of discovery, the gossan cropped out over a length of 2.5 kilometres and formed the capping of the broken hill, which gave no hint of the fabulous wealth below.  This is what the early prospectors and miners encountered and referred to as the hill of mullock.

The gossan cap of the massive orebody contained mainly manganese oxides, iron oxides and quartz, and averaged 10-15% lead, but silver content was not spectacular.  It took 12 months before rich silver values were discovered about 30 metres below the surface.  Most of the gossan has now been removed by mining giving enormous significance to this outcrop.

Winderhouse 1946

Broken Earth Complex, on top the Line of Lode, opened in 2001.  It includes a miners memorial, recording the deaths of over 800 miners in Broken Hill mines, also a cafe and restaurant.  That corner pier looks a little dicey, but our ex-miner guide assured  it was perfectly stable with 12 metre piers. 

Some perspective of how visible the Line of Lode is to the township.  It is 'just up the hill' from the railway station, 'just up there' from the main street.  View beyond the Palace Hotel with the Broken Earth Complex showing atop the Line of Lode.  The Palace Hotel 1889, is one of fame when Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was filmed there.

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