With the largest regional public gallery in New South Wales and 27 private galleries, Broken Hill has more places per capita to see art than anywhere else in Australia. The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, Chloride Street, between Blende and Beryl streets (tel. 08/8080 3440; www.brokenhill.net.au/bhart/main.html), houses an extensive collection of Australian colonial and Impressionist works. Look for the Silver Tree, a sculpture created out of the pure silver mined beneath Broken Hill. This is also a good place to see works by the "Brushmen of the Bush," a well-known group of artists including Pro Hart, Jack Absalom, Eric Minchin, and Hugh Schultz who spend many days sitting around campfires in the bush trying to capture its essence in paint. The gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is A$3 (US$2.70/£1.35) for adults, A$2 (US$1.80/UK90p) for children, and A$6 (US$5.40/£2.70) for families.
Be sure not to miss the School of the Air and the Royal Flying Doctor Service base, both of which help show the enormity of the Australian interior. The School of the Air -- the largest schoolroom in the world, with students scattered over 800,000 sq. km (312,000 sq. miles) -- conducts lessons via two-way radios. Visitors can listen in on part of the day's first teaching session Monday through Friday at 8:30am (except school and public holidays). Bookings are essential and must be made the day before through the Broken Hill Visitors Information Centre. Tours costs A$3.50 (US$3.10/£1.60) for adults and A$2.50 (US$2.25/£1.20) for kids. The Royal Flying Doctor Service base is at the Broken Hill Airport (tel. 08/8080 1777). The service maintains communication with more than 400 Outback stations, ready to fly at once in case of an emergency. The base at Broken Hill covers 25% of New South Wales, as well as parts of Queensland and South Australia. Explanations of the role of the flying doctor service run continuously at the base Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Admission is A$6 (US$5.40/£2.70) for adults and A$3 (US$2.70/£1.35) for children.
Join the Bush Mail Run (tel. 02/8087 2164, or 0411/102 339 mobile), an Outback mail delivery service by four-wheel-drive that operates every Wednesday and Saturday. The day starts at 7am, and you cover roughly 500km (310 miles). You stop at various homesteads. The run costs A$120 (US$108/£54).
