Places to visit in and around Broken Hill NSW

The Living Desert State Park is just 12 kilometre from Broken Hill and a place that honours the natural and cultural heritage of this area.

Within the park, you can visit the 12 Aboriginal Story Poles, carved from River Red Gum by local TAFE students in 2004.

The story poles represent the area’s diversity of plants and animals. The students interpreted their own cultural heritage to carve images of reptiles and birds, desert peas, and traditional weapons such as boomerang and bundi.

You’ll see that each of the artworks include a traditional mark, created through a unique wood burning technique used in the area. You’ll also see a mix of galvanised iron, nails and ceramic mosaics that combine to create visually striking mixed-media sculptures.

You can go further afield to explore this extraordinary park, with features such as a broader sculpture park and a flora and fauna sanctuary that is a visual representation of Broken Hill's marriage of art and nature. You’ll discover many beautiful spots to take photos, enjoy the scenery and relax – the park also features BBQs and shelters.

The state park is open from 7am to sunset and entry is $6 per person. Parking, camping and accessible toilets are available.

The Line of Lode Lookout and Miners Memorial is a dramatic, iconic structure on the edge of the mullock heap that dissects Broken Hill.

Opened at the turn of the century, the Miners Memorial commemorates the more than 800 miners who have lost their lives since mining commenced in Broken Hill in 1883.

You’ll learn that the structure itself is a metaphor for the underground lives of the miners, evoking the damp, claustrophobic underground environment.

Of the 2 flags flown at the memorial, a red flag signifies the blood spilt by workers and solidarity of early union pioneers, and a black flag symbolises death. This follows the tradition that a black flag was flown atop Trades Hall to notify people of a unionist fatality.

The lookout offers spectacular views over Broken Hill so don’t forget your camera. It is free to visit with car parking available.

Riddiford Arboretum on Galena Street is a free public space for everyone of all ages and abilities. This is more than just a place for you to see a variety of indigenous plantings – it is also a tribute to 2 wonderful locals – Albert and Margaret Morris – who recognised that restoration of these indigenous plants was key to protect the city from being engulfed by dust. Their work began in the 1930s, with the heritage-listed Regeneration Reserves around the city completed in 1958.

You will also visit the Arboretum to see 2 new sculptural works: Diviner and Nestle, created from mining waste materials.

The sculptures were commissioned in 2020 and created by Melbourne-based artist Robbie Rowlands. Robbie sourced materials from local mining companies and developed his art through a collaboration with local students, industry professionals, individuals and community groups.

When you come across ‘Nestle’, you’ll see its base is formed by tension rods recovered from the restoration of a 1900s mining headframe. Transitioning from a towering height, the rods now nestle low in the landscape, their gentle curve drawing influence from the Arboretum’s fallen leaves and dried bark.

‘Diviner’ uses rock bolts to create a 6 m sculpture that appears as a natural element of the landscape, like a fallen branch or root structure. The curved, rolled steel limbs that form the base of this work end with welded bronze mimicking golden flower tips.

Riddiford Arboretum showcases the plants of the Broken Hill Complex Bioregion and shows the value of growing hardy indigenous plants to create a sustainable green space. It is a family and dog-friendly park with picnic facilities and accessible amenities.

The Big Ant follows the traditions of Australia’s ‘big’ things – it is designed in the shape of a bull ant, Australia’s native ant known for its longer and bigger jaws.

Built in 1980 at the Stephens Creek Hotel, the Big Ant was designed by internationally-acclaimed Broken Hill artist Pro Hart. Pro Hart spent many years working in the mines, and The Big Ant Sculpture is dedicated to the workers of Broken Hill and their struggles.

Today, you’ll find the Big Ant opposite the Tourist Information Centre, within the Conservation Gardens, which features the many plant species that can be successfully grown in a region with a hot, dry climate and low rainfall.

The gardens are located on Beryl Street. You can stay a while, with picnic and BBQ facilities as well as accessible amenities.

Constructed from river red gum and copper from disused laundry ‘coppers’, The Canoe is a sculpture on Broken Hill’s main street that represents the flow of the Darling River and the impact of colonisation on Traditional Owners.

Created by Geoff DeMain, the sculpture helps you to understand the importance of the Darling River, and the process of conciliation and discovery. It discloses people’s use and abuse of the river – as a source of food and shelter, transport and wealth.

The Canoe tells 2 stories: one end shows the strength of the Traditional Owners, and the other end represents a colonial, Romanesque settler. Between them both, arms entwined, is the vessel.

This is a sculpture that challenges you to consider the relationship between the Darling River, Traditional Owners and the impact of European settlement.

Broken Hill's Titanic Memorial was organised by the Amalgamated Miners Association Band in 1913. The Band wanted to honour the 8 bandsmen on the Titanic who famously continued to play as the ship went down.

The bandsmen were members of two musical groups, a quintet and a trio, who joined together to play as the ship sank. Legend has it that their music, designed to calm the passengers, was played for as long as the band could play. All band members were recognised for their heroism.

Their story was obviously told far and wide, which is why you see the memorial in Broken Hill today. The local bandsmen’s public appeal for a memorial after the tragic event in 1912 was widely embraced by the community. This memorial, Broken Hill’s first, is in the shape of a broken mantle has been in place for more than 100 years, in Sturt Park.

Sturt Park is a great place to sit and relax. It is an accessible, family and dog-friendly park with picnic and BBQ facilities and the City Skate Park.

At the heart of Broken Hill’s heritage precinct on Argent Street, you can discover the Bomber, a 6.4 metre bronze statue of an Australian World War One soldier in battle-worn uniform, preparing to throw a Mills bomb. The memorial has been in place since 1925.

The Bomber stands on a monument consisting of several rough-cut Harcourt granite blocks and this rests on a platform of 3 steps. You’ll see 4 bronze tablets that list the names of 365 fallen soldiers from the district.

The Bomber is surrounded by attractive established gardens with seating and shelter adjacent the main street of Broken Hill, close to amenities, shops and cafes.

The rocket playground at Patton Park is a great place for the kids to play, while reflecting the historical significance of the city park rockets from yesteryear – a place that might take you back in time. This heritage park and street precinct still looks much like it did when it opened in 1940.

This was a very different time for Broken Hill, yet as the city quickly developed, local businesses recognised the need for a place like Patton Park. The old buildings that were once the police and fire stations still border the park, despite being closed years ago.

Looking down Patton Street, you’ll see buildings such as Bell’s Milk Bar, which looks as if it hasn’t changed in decades, giving you a glimpse of Broken Hill’s past.

Patton Park is a great place to meet up with family or friends, with seating, shelters, and BBQ and toilet facilities, in a dog-friendly, accessible space for everyone to enjoy.

The architecture and idiosyncratic features of the Broken Hill Town Hall façade were nearly lost to history in the early 1970s. Today, however, you can still find the famous gargoyle that overlooks the Police Station, thanks to efforts to retain and restore the façade rather than demolish the entire building for new council headquarters.

What you see today is more in keeping with the rest of the precinct’s historic streetscapes, which together form a 2-hour self-guided walking tour. Pack your camera and follow the streets named after metals, minerals, compounds and eminent citizens to discover many other heritage buildings such as the Post Office and Trades Hall.

For a quirkier side of all things Broken Hill, you might also want to follow the Heroes, Larrikins and Visionaries Heritage Trail, a 1.7 kilometre walk from the railway station to Billy Goat Hill – a place known by locals as the Hill and the birthplace of the famous actor Chips Rafferty. On this walk, you’ll learn about the famous artists, singers, actors, writers and gamblers who have called Broken Hill home.

Visit the Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum, also known as the GeoCentre, to learn about Broken Hill’s rich mineral history.

The museum, on the corner of Bromide and Crystal Streets, is home to a 42 kg silver nugget and a large mineral collection. You might also enjoy seeing the Silver Tree, which is made from 8.5 kg of silver. It was once owned by Charles Rasp, the boundary rider who pegged out the first mining lease with his partners to soon establish BHP.

The museum offers hands-on displays that highlight the history of the planet and the science of crystals. You can explore all aspects of Broken Hill's unique geology, as well as the earth sciences of mineralogy and metallurgy.

The Museum is open Tuesday-Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm. Entry is by donation, and the venue is fully accessible.