SILVERTON
Silverton is a must visit town when
you reach Broken Hill. Silverton is not a Birdsville, but its bitumen
access and the Mad Max Movies have ordained Silverton iconic status;
and that’s before the colander status of the pub. The Silverton Hotel
appears just about annually on a pub calendar in Australia.
Here’s the reason.
The town sprung up after the discovery
of rich silver deposits, although it was soon eclipsed by an even
richer silver-lead-zinc ore body at nearby. Explorers Bourke and
Wills
passed through the area in their famous 1860-61 expedition, setting up
a base camp at the nearby Broken Hill district.
By 1901 the town and immediate area was home to
less than 300 people, but it remained popular as a venue for
recreational outings by Broken Hill residents.
The desert and the haphazardness of the buildings
in Silverton has been the scene for more than 140 films and
commercials thanks to the light, the character-filled colonial
buildings and its scenic desert surrounds.   
The hotel is regularly featured in these
productions, and its inside walls are covered with memorabilia.
  
Diary notes
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