# Broken Hill

> town in New South Wales, Australia

**Wikidata**: [Q270734](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q270734)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Hill)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/broken-hill

## Summary
Broken Hill is a city and locality in New South Wales, Australia, situated in the Far West region. Founded in 1883, it serves as the capital of the City of Broken Hill and had a population of 17,706 according to the 2021 Australian Census.

## Key Facts
- **Location**: Broken Hill is located in New South Wales, Australia, within the Far West region.
- **Coordinates**: Latitude -31.965, Longitude 141.4511111.
- **Population**: The suburb and locality recorded a population of 17,706 on August 10, 2021 (Australian Census 2021); the urban centre and locality recorded 17,456 on the same date.
- **Area**: The town covers an area of 170 square kilometres.
- **Inception**: The settlement was founded in 1883.
- **Elevation**: The elevation above sea level is 315 metres.
- **Timezone**: The town observes UTC+10:00 and Australia/Broken_Hill time zones.
- **Postal Code**: 2880.
- **Temperature Records**: A maximum temperature of 46.3°C was recorded on January 16, 2019; a minimum of -2.9°C was recorded on July 1, 2017.
- **Electoral Districts**: The town is associated with the electoral district of Barwon (New South Wales) and the federal division of Parkes (Australian House of Representatives).
- **UN/LOCODE**: AUBHQ.

## FAQs
**What is the geographical context of Broken Hill?**
Broken Hill is located in the Far West of New South Wales, Australia. It shares borders with several localities, including Scotia, Fowlers Gap, Menindee, Silverton, and Cockburn, among others.

**What are the population demographics?**
According to the 2016 Census, the male population was 8,676 and the female population was 9,137. The total population for the suburb and locality was 17,814 in 2016 and 17,706 in 2021.

**What administrative region governs Broken Hill?**
The town is the capital of the City of Broken Hill, which acts as the local government area. It is also situated within the parish of Picton.

**What climate records exist for the town?**
Temperature extremes include a high of 46.3 degrees Celsius recorded in January 2019 and a low of -2.9 degrees Celsius recorded in July 2017.

## Why It Matters
Broken Hill holds significance as a distinct mining settlement in the Australian outback, formally established in the late 19th century. Its identity is recognized globally through numerous identifiers including a Geonames ID, a Library of Congress Authority ID, and inclusion in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary as well as the 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. The town's unique time zone alignment (Australia/Broken_Hill) and its status as the capital of the City of Broken Hill highlight its administrative importance in the region.

## Notable For
- Being an "accessible city of the outback" with a substantial population of over 17,000 residents.
- Its specific temperature extremes, ranging from -2.9°C to 46.3°C.
- A unique time zone designation (Australia/Broken_Hill) distinct from standard UTC+10:00.
- Extensive international recognition via identifiers like ISNI, VIAF, and GND.
- Being the subject of a dedicated subreddit (r/brokenhill) and having a high sitelink count (51) across various Wikipedia languages.

## Body

### Geography and Location
Broken Hill is geographically positioned at latitude -31.965 and longitude 141.4511111. It resides within the state of New South Wales, specifically in the Far West region. The locality encompasses an area of 170 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 315 metres above sea level.

The town shares its borders with ten distinct localities: Scotia, Fowlers Gap, Broughams Gate, Menindee, Silverton, Little Topar, Cockburn, Sturt Vale, Mooleulooloo, and Mutooroo.

### Governance and Administration
Administratively, Broken Hill is the capital of the City of Broken Hill. It is located within the parish of Picton. In terms of political representation, the town falls under the electoral district of Barwon for New South Wales state politics and the division of Parkes for the Australian House of Representatives.

### Demographics
Population data from the Australian Census shows a slight decline over recent years. In the 2016 Census, the population was recorded at 17,814 for the suburb and locality. By the 2021 Census, this number adjusted to 17,706 for the suburb and locality, while the urban centre and locality recorded 17,456. The 2016 data specified a male population of 8,676 and a female population of 9,137.

### Climate and Environment
The region experiences significant temperature variations. Official records indicate a maximum temperature of 46.3 degrees Celsius reached on January 16, 2019. Conversely, a minimum temperature of -2.9 degrees Celsius was recorded on July 1, 2017.

### History and Recognition
The town was established in 1883. It has been documented in historical sources such as the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary and the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition. The entity is explicitly differentiated from Kabwe, a location sometimes associated with the name "Broken Hill" in other contexts.

### Identifiers and External Links
Broken Hill maintains a vast array of identifiers across academic, cultural, and digital platforms:
- **Library and Archives**: Library of Congress Authority ID (n83149396), VIAF ID (126014694), GND ID (4080547-5), ISNI (0000000123082107), and Bibliotheque Nationale de France ID (121342582).
- **Digital and Web**: GeoNames ID (2173911), Freebase ID (/m/013bbf), BBC Things ID, and a Who's On First ID. It has a dedicated website (visitbrokenhill.com.au) and a subreddit (brokenhill).
- **Cultural Databases**: MusicBrainz Area ID, RKD Thesaurus ID, and a museum-digital place ID.
- **Geographical Codes**: UN/LOCODE (AUBHQ) and Australian Statistical Geography IDs for the years 2011, 2016, and 2021.

### Media and Imagery
Visual documentation includes a main image of Argent Street and a page banner featuring the Broken Hill Sculpture Symposium. The town has a Commons gallery and a Commons category titled "Broken Hill, New South Wales." It is also linked to the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery via a Commons institution page. Wikipedia entries for the town exist in over 40 languages, including English, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.

## References

1. [Source](http://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC10592)
2. Geographical Names Register
3. [Source](https://linked.data.gov.au/dataset/asgsed3/SAL/10589)
4. Virtual International Authority File
5. Integrated Authority File
6. BnF authorities
7. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20020223225803/http://abc.net.au/news/regionals/brokenh/monthly/regbrok-21jul1999-6.htm)
8. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
9. Czech National Authority Database
10. MusicBrainz
11. [Source](http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC10592)
12. [Broken Hill](https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL10589)
13. [Source](https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/UCL113003)
14. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
15. GeoNames
16. BBC Things
17. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/au.htm)
18. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
19. [Source](http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_047048_All.shtml)
20. [Bureau of Meteorology](http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_047048_All.shtml)
21. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File