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Quiz about Broken Hill
Quiz about Broken Hill

Broken Hill Trivia Quiz


Broken Hill is a mining town in far Western NSW. It has a rich Aboriginal and European history and is a fascinating place to visit.

A multiple-choice quiz by tan72. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
tan72
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
296,376
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
16 / 25
Plays
873
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 172 (14/25), Guest 149 (21/25), antonio2024 (25/25).
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Question 1 of 25
1. Who was the first European to describe Broken Hill? Hint


Question 2 of 25
2. Who was the person credited with first finding ore in the area? Hint


Question 3 of 25
3. What three types of ore are mined in Broken Hill? Hint


Question 4 of 25
4. Silver from Broken Hill was used in the Sydney Olympic silver medals.


Question 5 of 25
5. Broken Hill was the site of the only 'battle' to be fought on Australian soil in World War 1.


Question 6 of 25
6. During World War II, all of the Australian gold reserves were sent to Broken Hill for safe keeping.


Question 7 of 25
7. Who is the famous Australian opera singer who was born in Broken Hill? Hint


Question 8 of 25
8. What unusual memorial is located in Sturt Park? Hint


Question 9 of 25
9. What is the wild flower commonly associated with Broken Hill? Hint


Question 10 of 25
10. Which Australian Army World War II nurse trained at the Broken Hill Base Hospital? Hint


Question 11 of 25
11. Chips Rafferty, the actor, was born in Broken Hill.


Question 12 of 25
12. Which well known Broken Hill artist had his own TV series? Hint


Question 13 of 25
13. 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' was partly filmed in Broken Hill.


Question 14 of 25
14. Which town near Broken Hill has featured in a number of movies, as well as the Coke 'sky surfing' ad? Hint


Question 15 of 25
15. Broken Hill has a separate time zone to the rest of NSW.


Question 16 of 25
16. Which well known mining company was first formed in Broken Hill? Hint


Question 17 of 25
17. Which well known long-distance train regularly stops in Broken Hill? Hint


Question 18 of 25
18. Which well known Australian movie was filmed around Broken Hill? Hint


Question 19 of 25
19. Which well-known Australian artist became known for his 'cannon art' style of producing paintings? Hint


Question 20 of 25
20. Does the Royal Flying Doctor service operate out of Broken Hill?


Question 21 of 25
21. Where in Broken Hill can you see the world's largest acrylic painting? Hint


Question 22 of 25
22. Are you able to see the 'School of the Air' in Broken Hill?


Question 23 of 25
23. At which National Park near Broken Hill are you able to see Aboriginal rock engravings and Aboriginal rock paintings? Hint


Question 24 of 25
24. Which National Park is located near Menindee? Hint


Question 25 of 25
25. Is Broken Hill also known as the Silver City?



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 11 2024 : Guest 172: 14/25
Mar 11 2024 : Guest 149: 21/25
Feb 11 2024 : antonio2024: 25/25

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Who was the first European to describe Broken Hill?

Answer: Charles Sturt

Charles Sturt was the first European to document details about Broken Hill in 1844. He described a 'broken hill' in his diary, and also named the Barrier Range which is a feature of this area.
2. Who was the person credited with first finding ore in the area?

Answer: Charles Rasp

Charles Rasp was a boundary rider who was credited with identifying the first ore in the area. He thought he had discovered a deposit of tin.
3. What three types of ore are mined in Broken Hill?

Answer: Lead, silver and zinc

Broken Hill is famous for its silver (which is amongst the most pure in the world) as well as for its lodes of lead and zinc.
4. Silver from Broken Hill was used in the Sydney Olympic silver medals.

Answer: True

While most of the silver used to make the medals was mined in Cannington, Queensland, Broken Hill donated 22.5 kg of silver.
5. Broken Hill was the site of the only 'battle' to be fought on Australian soil in World War 1.

Answer: True

The 'Battle of Broken Hill' took place on New Years Day, 1915. Two men opened fire on a picnic train. They killed four people, and wounded another six. They were eventually killed by local policemen and soldiers. It was speculated that they were of Turkish citizenship, as Turkey was at war with the British Empire.
6. During World War II, all of the Australian gold reserves were sent to Broken Hill for safe keeping.

Answer: True

The gold reserves were transferred to Broken Hill in 1942. They were stored in a special vault in the Broken Hill gaol. At the time, the threat of invasion from Japan was serious. As Broken Hill is so far inland, it was thought to be a safe place to store this gold.
7. Who is the famous Australian opera singer who was born in Broken Hill?

Answer: June Bronhill

June Bronhill was born in Broken Hill. She adopted the surname of 'Bronhill' (an abbreviation of Broken Hill) as a way of thanking her home town for its support.
8. What unusual memorial is located in Sturt Park?

Answer: Titanic Memorial

The people of Broken Hill were touched by the bravery of the musicians on the Titanic. To honour them, a memorial was built listing their names. The column which forms the memorial is broken, as a way of symbolising lives cut short.
9. What is the wild flower commonly associated with Broken Hill?

Answer: Sturt Desert Pea

The Sturt Desert Pea is a striking flower. The flower itself is a deep, dark red, with a small dark pea in the middle. It grows close to the ground, and is quite small in size.

The Waratah is the official state flower of NSW.
10. Which Australian Army World War II nurse trained at the Broken Hill Base Hospital?

Answer: Vivian Bullwinkle

Vivian Bullwinkle was born in Kapunda, South Australia. She trained in general nursing and midwifery at Broken Hill Base Hospital before transferring to Melbourne. She was evacuated from Singapore when the Japanese army invaded on the Vyner Brooke. Two days later the ship was destroyed by the Japanese. The survivors washed up on the shores of Banka Island. Sadly, the group of women that Miss Bullwinkle was with were killed by the Japanese, and she was the only survivor. At the end of World War II she gave evidence to the War Crimes Tribunal about the incident. Betty Jeffries and Pat Darling were two other nurses who were on the Vyner Brooke. Their group landed on a different part of the island.


Miss Bullwinkle's uniform is kept by the Australian War Memorial where it is sometimes on display. It is possible to see the bullet hole from when she was shot.

Nancy Wake was an Australian operative who served with the SOE in France during WWII. She was code-named 'the White Mouse' by the Germans.
11. Chips Rafferty, the actor, was born in Broken Hill.

Answer: True

The Broken Hill Entertainment Centre has been named in honour of Chips Rafferty who was born in Broken Hill in 1909.
12. Which well known Broken Hill artist had his own TV series?

Answer: Jack Absalom

Jack Absalom hosted a series of TV shows in Australia, including his 'Outback Journeys' series. He has a large art gallery in Broken Hill.
13. 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' was partly filmed in Broken Hill.

Answer: True

Several key scenes of 'Priscilla' were filmed in Broken Hill. They include the scene were the 'girls' enter a bar to be heckled by some of the locals. This scene was filmed at 'Mario's' and the wall painting in the background of the scene can be seen there.
14. Which town near Broken Hill has featured in a number of movies, as well as the Coke 'sky surfing' ad?

Answer: Silverton

Silverton is a short drive from Broken Hill. It is a small town which has featured in a number of Australian movies and TV ads. The Silverton Hotel is often pictured in different publications. Peter Browne is an artist who has his gallery in Silverton and is known as the 'Vegemite artist' as brown features in his paintings.
15. Broken Hill has a separate time zone to the rest of NSW.

Answer: True

Broken Hill is in NSW, but uses South Australian time which is normally half an hour behind NSW. There have been times during daylight saving when Broken Hill has been half an hour ahead of the rest of the state!
16. Which well known mining company was first formed in Broken Hill?

Answer: BHP Billiton

BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary LTD) was founded in 1895.
17. Which well known long-distance train regularly stops in Broken Hill?

Answer: The Indian-Pacific

The Indian Pacific track runs for 4532 kilometres and includes one of the longest straight sections of track in the world. The trip between Sydney and Perth takes 65 hours.
18. Which well known Australian movie was filmed around Broken Hill?

Answer: Mad Max II

'Mad Max II' was filmed on location in Broken Hill and Silverton. The car used in the movie can often be spotted in Silverton.
19. Which well-known Australian artist became known for his 'cannon art' style of producing paintings?

Answer: Pro Hart

Pro Hart was a self-taught artist. He used a wide range of techniques in his painting, including the famous 'cannon art' style. He illustrated several poems of Henry Lawson's and was known for depicting country life in his art. Some of his work can be seen on cars in the Broken Hill area.

Pro Hart had a famous art collection, estimated to be the largest private collection in the country.

Eric Minchin, Jack Absalom and Hugh Schulz were all members of the 'Brushmen of the Bush'. Broken Hill has a thriving art community.
20. Does the Royal Flying Doctor service operate out of Broken Hill?

Answer: Yes

The RFDS has a base at the Broken Hill airport. Episodes of the Australian TV series were filmed on location in Broken Hill.
21. Where in Broken Hill can you see the world's largest acrylic painting?

Answer: Silver City Mint

The Silver City Mint is the home of the world's largest acrylic painting measuring 12m by 100m and painted by Peter Anderson. It is called 'The Big Picture'.
22. Are you able to see the 'School of the Air' in Broken Hill?

Answer: Yes

For more information on how to see one of these lessons, check with the school. The School of the Air was established in 1950 to give lessons to children living on outlying stations. The lessons used to be conducted using wireless radio, but most school lessons are now conducted by the internet.
23. At which National Park near Broken Hill are you able to see Aboriginal rock engravings and Aboriginal rock paintings?

Answer: Mutawintji National Park

Mutawintji National Park is spectacular. The best way to visit it is with a guide, and a number of the local Aboriginal people are guides.
24. Which National Park is located near Menindee?

Answer: Kinchega National Park

The Menindee lakes are over 100 km south of Broken Hill. Menindee is the oldest European settlement in western NSW. Menindee is also the site of one of the Burke and Wills camps.
25. Is Broken Hill also known as the Silver City?

Answer: Yes

Broken Hill is mentioned by this nickname in the song 'Khe Sanh' by Cold Chisel.
Source: Author tan72

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ozzz2002 before going online.
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