Broken Hill

Mining town in New South Wales, Australia, near the border with South Australia, 1,158 km/720 mi west of Sydney and 517 km/321 mi northeast of Adelaide; population (1996) 20,963. Broken Hill was founded in 1894 as a mining centre, and the town is the second-largest producer of silver, and the largest producer of lead and zinc, in Australia. It is the base of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and the School of the Air.

The population of Broken Hill is in decline, having reached a peak in 1954, at 31,351. The available resources of silver, lead, and zinc have declined and become increasingly difficult and expensive to mine. The prices of these minerals has also tended to fluctuate on world markets, thus reducing economic certainty in the longer-term profitability of the mines. The town operates on South Australian time, although it is in New South Wales.