TRACING HISTORY                        BROKEN HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY  INCORPORATED At a public meeting held in the City on April 13, 1965, it was decided that the Broken Hill Historical Society be formed, with the object: to hold meetings and excursions, to stimulate and organise research and to collect and preserve items of historical interest relevent to Broken Hill and the West Darling District. The foundation President was Mr. J Prendergast, foundation Secretaries being: Messrs V. Fisher (minutes) and G . SWills (correspondence). In 1968 the Broken Hill Historical Society completed two projects, the Silverton Gaol Historical Museum; opened by the Mayor of Broken Hill, Mr G. L. Dial on September 15, 1968; and the Moslem Mosque at Broken Hill which was opened for inspection on September 21, 1968, by Mr. L. A Johnstone M. L. A. Items of historical interest are on display at the Silverton Gaol Historical Museum, which is opened to the public daily, being manned by volunteer workers from the historical Society. The rooms and cells (13 combined) hold displays of photographs, documents, household items, mining equipment and other varied items associated with the discovery and development of Broken Hill and the West Darling district of NSW.                                                          Broken Hill Broken Hill received it’s name because of the rugged nature of it's rocky summit, the Barrier Ranges. A boundary rider by the name of Charles Rasp, discovered what he thought were deposits of tin, in 1883. Rasp’s samples were silver and lead, and the ore body became the largest and richest of its kind in the world. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was launched by a ‘ Syndicate of Seven’ in 1885. From any advantage point in the city, the huge dumps and towering headframes are reminders of the industry which provides the city with its means of life. The importance of the mining industry is never forgotten. Streets of Broken Hill are named after minerals found in Broken Hill, and civic leaders, mine managers and leading citizens of bygone years. In 1952 Broken Hill’s demands for a permanent water supply were met with the completion of the construction of the pipeline from the Darling River at Menindee to Stephens Creek Reservoir. The city’s isolation became less forbidding with the completion of the Adelaide rail link in 1888 and the construction of the Sydney line in 1927. The Silverton Tramway Company, formed in 1886, operated the rail link between Broken Hill and the South Australian border. In 1970 this Company ceased operation railway operations (today this Company still do the Shunting operations for the Mining Companies) when the standard gauge line connecting Sydney to Perth through Broken Hill was completed, opening the route for the famous Indian Pacific railways Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia is situated in the Barrier Ranges 50kilometres South- East from the South Australian border at Cockburn.. Broken Hill has a population of approximately 21,000 and lies in the Barrier Ranges. The standard of housing in the city is extrememly  varied, few permanent buildings were built in the early years because of the uncertainly of mining, and in fact many of the older wood and iron buildings now seen around the city were brought here in one piece from the once thriving township of Silverton. Broken Hill has far too much history to be contained within the four walls of a museum. There are too many relicts. The heritage drives and walks encourage visitors to discover something of Broken Hill’s history and in doing so to discover a little of the history of this nation. In Broken Hill it is possible to take guided tours of former mines, view rare and beautiful minerals, clamber over ‘head frames’ or take a walk with the locals and let them explain what the city is all about.                                                                                                                 FOR PHOTOS OF BROKEN HILL