Silverton

Fast facts

• Historic ghost town popular with filmmakers
• 1,137 km west of Sydney, 24 km west of Broken Hill
  

Why go there

The road from Broken Hill to Silverton passes through pure Outback country. The sky seems enormous, the earth is blood red, and tufts of yellow Mitchell grass dot the landscape. This is home to huge wedge-tailed eagles, which soar on the thermals or rest on old fence posts. Galahs streak past in a flurry of pink and white, red kangaroos bound across the arid plains, and emus kick up dust as they sprint beside their brood of chicks.

Out of this vastness a town appears like a mirage. It’s little more than a cluster of historic buildings, including a couple of churches, a pub, and a scattering of art galleries. This is Silverton, a former silver-mining town turned artist colony and film set. The most famous films include Mad Max 2, A Town Like Alice, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

The town’s focal point is the Silverton Hotel, a friendly place where the locals come to mix with the tourists. Have a ‘stubby’ of beer on the veranda outside, watch emus pecking at the dust, or a camel flicking its tail at the flies while tied to the hitching post.

Don’t miss

• The scenic lookout at the edge of the dusty Mundi Mundi Plains, the setting for both the opening scene and the final truck wreck in Mad Max 2.
• A self-guided heritage walking tour to drop in on artists working in their studios and galleries and learn about the historic buildings.
• A camel ride with Silverton Camel Treks lasting from 15 minutes to an overnight excursion.