Cameron Corner, Milparinka & Tibooburra

Miners Memorial

PIONEERING UNIONISM

For most of Broken Hill’s history, mining was a very dangerous profession but social changes made here resonated around the world. In the late 1800s, safety in the mines was the sole responsibility of the workers themselves. As a result, miners put up with terrible conditions; toiling away by lamplight with hammer and chisel, and breathing silicon-laden dust underground or lead fumes from the smelters. Many died of miners’ phthisis or lead poisoning. Accidents were common and often resulted in miners’ deaths. Over the years, more than 800 miners have lost their lives on the job. Today, their legacy is commemorated at the Miners Memorial that stands on top of the Line of Lode.

This memorial is a telling reminder of why Broken Hill pioneered a culture of trade unionism, including the introduction of the 35-hour working week and the defeat of conscription in Australia. In 1890, almost every worker on the Line of Lode belonged to a union like the giant Amalgamated Miners’ Association, once one of the most powerful unions in Australia. Massive attempts were made to improve working conditions, including a large strike in 1892.

union activities at the turn of the century were frequently hostile which led to Broken Hill developing an infamous reputation for intense and frequent strikes. The conditions that induced these events are a far cry from modern, safety-first methods that use high-tech extraction machines, huge dump trucks and cement- lined underground roads. Nonetheless, the city’s proud militancy is presented in the 1905 Trades Hall building – the first privately owned trades hall in the southern hemisphere – and in murals on walls of buildings in central Broken Hill.