Broken Hill opens up

The closure of state borders has had major impacts on Australian towns that are on a state border, where residents often cross between states as part of everyday living. There have been heartbreaking stories of families separated, businesses failing and people unable to access essential supports and health care because of closed borders.
 
Broken Hill is a bit different, in that it is not close to a state border. It’s not close to anywhere really. Sydney is 1200kms to the east, and Adelaide 500kms to the south. Broken Hill is a mining town in outback New South Wales, but in many ways it has closer ties to South Australia than it does to Sydney. It is on the South Australian time zone. So the border closure has had a major impact on daily life and on tourism in Broken Hill.
 
Now South Australia has opened its border with NSW, and Broken Hill is rejoicing.
 
The photos are from trips to Broken Hill in 2004 and 2010:
 
Memorial to the more than 800 miners who have died in the Broken Hill silver, zinc and lead mines.

One of twelve sandstone sculptures in the desert. Broken Hill has a thriving, and idiosyncratic, arts scene.

Sturt’s desert pea, the South Australian floral emblem.

Watchful lizard.