A VISIT TO BROKEN HILL - 1888
The following interesting letter was published in an early 1955 magazine. It was written by a Mr Edmund M. Harral, who was engaged by Pictorial Australian as a special artists. One of his assignments brought him to the Broken Hill Silver Mining Centre at a very interesting stage in its development.
Heath Cottage,
Halifax Street,
Adelaide,
2nd February, 1888.
Dear Will,
At last I have an opportunity of narrating the varied experiences of my trip to the Broken Hill Silver Mines. The occasion of our visit was the completion and opening for traffic of the Railway from Adelaide to the mining district. This now world famous Silver field is in New South Wales several miles over the border, but being so much easier of access from our capital than Sydney, it is really looked upon as a South Australian undertaking and principally worked with SA money.
The company issued only 50 invitations, 25 for NSW and 25 for our colony, so considered myself most fortunate in receiving one as representative of the only Adelaide Illustrated Newspaper. Our party included the principal members of the government, Sir E. Smith and the Duke of Manchester. I may say that all fared exactly the same in all respects, for out here, as in America, there is but little starch in society.
The distance to BH is 334 miles. We left Adelaide at 7am and 9am sat down at Riverton to a sumptuous breakfast. Soon after leaving here we changed to the narrow gauge and for the remainder of the journey travelled in luxurious saloon cars. At the end of the train was a van well supplied with edibles, Liquids and a couple of waiters. At each stoppage the latter came round to supply us with ice soda water, etc., etc., and you will understand how we relished these creature comforts when the thermometer registered 100 degrees in the shade.
The railway passes through what is usually named the South Australian desert, the most dreary arid trackless waste one could conceive-East, West, North, South, nothing but scrub, which I should think extends, the way we journeyed, near 200 miles, but midway across this barren land we came upon a most delightful oasis, via a little wayside station where a jolly good dinner of several courses awaited our devouring, for this was 7pm and our appetites were keen.
Having done justice to the good things provided, we resumed the journey, and about 9pm were all deposited at Silverton, there to spend the night.
It was a night, too.
I shared an apartment with two other fellows, one a NSW Legislator who came to bed in the small hours very sick.
The heat was fearful. I don't think I slept many minutes altogether, was glad to tumble out soon after daybreak, and so got my sketches made of this little township before breakfast.
We made a start about 9am and quickly reached our destination, where an enormous motley crowd awaited the arrival of the train.
After the Duke had declared the railway open, we were taken to this celebrated mine and shown the different workings and processes of extracting the silver from the ore. It was most interesting, and to those who happened to be shareholders a most gratifying sight!
It is only two years since operations were commenced here, and now 60,000oz of silver are turned out per week; and dividends amounting to 225,000 pounds have already been paid. The original Broken Hill mine shares were issued at 20 pounds per share. Today they are eagerly bought up at 320 pounds.
Around this mine have sprung up many others some may prove good, but many profitless. No doubt, anyhow, the mining fever is so great here now that shares in everything are rising tremendously. Investors and brokers are making fabulous sums of money, some even 10,000 pounds per week. The reaction will come sooner or later, but those who have their money in the two or three original mines have not much cause for fear, as the prospect for them is brilliant of course, to buy at present prices is absurd.
One Street in Adelaide is a scene of great excitement every day -hundreds of people representing all classes of the community buying and selling shares.
The remainder of the day I spent in sketching, and never shall I forget the trying ordeal through which we had to pass. Imagine a place completely burnt up, not a green leaf or blade of grass, not a particle of shelter, and the heat of the sun about 170 degrees; add to this dust such as I never experienced (enveloping the place like fog), and you may perhaps realise my position in having to sketch in the open. Must also tell you that the ground was so terribley hot that all the time I had to keep picking my feet up, for it felt like sanding on hot coals.
Brothers of this Brush in England, how would you like to sketch under these conditions.
