Silverton

Silverton boomed in the 1880s on silver, reached a population in the thousands, and then emptied when the richer lode at Broken Hill was found; buildings were physically carted away, and what remains is a handful of stone structures, a gaol turned museum, a church, several galleries and the Silverton Hotel. The surrounding country, flat red plain under an enormous sky, has been used repeatedly by filmmakers, most famously for post-apocalyptic road films, and the pub's walls are covered in memorabilia from the productions. The Mundi Mundi lookout a few kilometres on shows the plain running to a visibly curved horizon, and a desert music festival is held there.

History

The Wiljakali people are thought to be the first inhabitants, probably visiting only from time to time for lack of permanent water, and Major Thomas Mitchell was the first European to come, in 1841; Charles Sturt named the Barrier Range in 1844, and Burke and Wills passed through in 1860-1861. A claimed gold find in 1867 turned out to be a ruse to steal a horse, but in 1875 men sinking a well on a station south of the site struck a lode of silver, and Silverton was proclaimed a town on 17 September 1880, before the richer orebody at Broken Hill eclipsed it; by 1901 fewer than 300 people lived here (Wikipedia, Silverton, New South Wales).

Highlights

• The Silverton Hotel - the pub lined with film memorabilia and props.
• The stone ruins - the gaol museum, church and remaining buildings.
• Mundi Mundi Plains lookout - the flat horizon stretching to the curve of the earth.
• The galleries - artists working in the old buildings.

When to go

April to October; summer heat is severe and the plain gives no shade. Sunset at Mundi Mundi is the reason many people come. The village is small and quiet midweek, with more open at weekends.

Before you go

There is very little here: a pub, a few galleries and ruins, seen in an hour or two. Roads beyond the sealed section are dirt and can close after rain. Facilities are minimal, with no fuel, so fill up in Broken Hill.

Nearby

Broken Hill is twenty-five kilometres southeast; the Mundi Mundi lookout is just beyond the village.

Key facts