If you are interested in books on the history of Broken Hill, then one beauty – and it is a thing of beauty – captures the Hill’s people, and often in front of their traditional miner cottage homes, in an exquisite coffee-table version titled: Life and Times in the Republic of Broken Hill.

This is how the cover blurb describes it:

“63 portraits. Two unique perspectives. One universal human connection from an historic outback town. ‘Life and Times in the Republic of Broken Hill’ is a unique portrait of an iconic Australian town, a story told through powerful photographs of its people and a narrative that explores the heroic, tumultuous and sometimes dark history of one of our nation’s most famous outback communities.

Through 168 pages of exquisitely crafted portraits by internationally-renowned photographer, Robin Sellick, fascinating text by award-winning journalist and author, Jack Marx – plus revealing insights from the subjects of the portraits themselves – the reader is given a vivid snapshot of the present and a lyrical journey through Broken Hill’s past. Thus Life and Times in the Republic of Broken Hill’ is an entirely original publishing concept; a limited edition amalgam of art, history and travelogue …”

The book, published in 2011, evolved from a magnificent local exhibition of its photographs in the the year before.

You can get a tiny taste of what is inside the book here.

It is now hard to find and purchase, so check with your local library.

But, the ‘Under the Silver Tree’ bookshop in Broken Hill currently has one copy for sale at $80!

Contact details for ‘Under the Silver Tree’ are:

Email: underthesilvertree@gmail.com     

Phone: 08 – 8000 1942

It’s a wonderful book worth reading, and owning.

(Jan for the Society)