The Line of Lode Miner's Memorial in Broken Hill. Photography by Eugene Tan of Aquabumps. We had three days and we made the most of the short time we were on the ground. We visited Silverton where Mad Max was shot – I am a big fan of that movie. I definitely recommend visiting the Mad Max Museum while you’re there. Have a beer at The Original Silverton Hotel – you’re pretty sure to see a donkey while you sit on the verandah. You can get a good coffee at the Silly Goat Café and be sure to check out the Mundi Mundi Plains lookout to embrace the outback of Australia. The Living Desert and Sculptures is where to spend sunset.
I love the mining history of Broken Hill. Shooting some of the old mining factories from 1885 where they mined silver, lead and zinc was unique for me – with not a person in sight. There’s land as far as the eye can see; flat, dry land. The days were clear and blue – I thought it must never rain but then a few days after we left they got 140mm in one afternoon.
Walking the streets of Broken Hill and neighbouring town of Silverton is like stepping back in time. Donkeys, emus, horses, goats roam the streets of Silverton – pretty unique. There are a lot of outback artists and galleries – I liked checking these out, following the steps of the great Pro Hart who lived in Broken Hill for 77 years.
The dirt is red, the sky is blue and trees only grow on the creek line so it was an interesting landscape for me to shoot – big open spaces, a stark contrast from the thousands of people on Bondi Beach I usually shoot.
It’s all about the light for me – the natural light, so the sunrise and the sunset. I still made the most of these times of day to shoot and loved the diversity of Broken Hill. The desert sculptures was a highlight and experiencing somewhere that feel intrinsically Australian was nice to shoot for a change.
