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Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery is located at 404 – 408 Argent Street, Broken Hill. Broken Hill is the largest regional outback centre in Western New South Wales, positioned close to the South Australian border and midway between the Queensland and Victorian borders. Broken Hill is a culturally rich and diverse environment. Famous for its mining industries, silver and mineral deposits, and unionism, the city today is also identified by the strength of its arts community, and number of artists and galleries in the region. The town is also the home of The Brushmen of the Bush, a celebrated group of Australian artists including Pro Hart, Jack Absalom, Hugh Schulz, Eric Minchin and John Pickup, who took paintings of outback Australia to the world. |
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The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery provides an annual program of locally curated exhibitions along with touring exhibitions from major cultural institutions. A selection of works from the collection is on permanent display in the upstairs gallery. The annual program endeavours to include work by established and emerging Aboriginal artists from around the Far West region of New South Wales. Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery is housed in the historic Sully’s Emporium (pictured). Operating from 1885 – 1985, Sully’s Emporium was the longest surviving commercial business in Broken Hill providing much of the heavy machinery and equipment for the development and exploration of Broken Hill’s mineral fields. |
The Emporium was associated with two well-known Broken Hill families, the Sullys (1885 -1925) and the Sweetapples (1924 - 1985), and had its own livery stable and blacksmiths in the yard at the rear of the buildings. The gallery building is wheelchair accessible. In 1998 Broken Hill City Council purchased the building to provide a permanent home for Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery and the City’s art collection. The architect for the project was Elizabeth Vines. Many of the building’s original features have been preserved in the refurbishment process, enhancing the experience of visitors to the Gallery. Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery has won numerous heritage awards for the restoration and refurbishment of the former Sully’s Emporium. These include the 2005 Energy Australia National/Trust Award for Conservation of the Built Heritage for Projects over $500,000 in the Corporate/Government section; 2005 Australian Property Institute Savills Heritage Award; and 2006 Tidy Towns Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation. |
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The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery is owned and managed by Broken Hill City Council and recieves substantial assistance from Arts NSW.
The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery is a member of Regional and Public Galleries NSW Inc.
Gallery Staff
Bruce Tindale - Art Gallery Manager
Darren Parker - Installation Officer/Administration
Sue Reynolds - Education/Public Programs Officer
Anthony Hayward - Indigenous Trainee