104. Broken Hill Cemetery - 1889

Broken Hill Cemetary.png

This cemetery was dedicated in 1889 and replaced the original cemetery in Lane Street. It is the largest inland cemetery in NSW, covering more than 100 acres and containing more than 50,000 graves. 

The epitaphs on many graves reflect the harshness of the pioneering days of Broken Hill: diseases, mining accidents and child mortality.  

The cultural. historical and religious diversity of the city is also represented, by graves from the late nineteenth century up until the present day. The headstone materials range from traditional marble, granite and timber to local cast iron headstones and grave surrounds.  

Interpretive signs in the bus shelter explain the development of the cemetery and guide visitors to individual graves of interest, including Broken Hill artist Pro Hart and international opera singer June Bronhill (Gough). It also locates the graves of the only people killed on Australian soil as a result of WWI, after an attack on an open wagon train on new Years Day 1915. (See Trail No. 107)  

One of the most impressive monuments in the cemetery is that of Percival Brookfield, MLA and socialist, who was shot in March 1921.   

Audio transcript available.