Summary

Medal struck to commemorate the Broken Hill Mining Exhibition in 1890.
It features the Advance Australia Arms with the motto ADVANCE AUSTRALIA and a tall monument surmounted by the Titan Atlas. Broken Hill has been called the 'Silver City', and is closely associated with the silver, lead and zinc mining. Silver was first found in the Broken Hill area in 1883, and in January 1885 a rich vein of silver turned out to be one of the world's largest known silver-lead-zinc lodes. The syndicate which secured the find established the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP) later that year. Other silver mining companies in the area included the Beltana Broken Hill Proprietary Silver Mining Company, incorporated in 1888, which purchased four mineral claims on the Ediacara field from the Broken Hill Miners Prospecting Syndicate.

Physical Description

White metal medal features an Australian Coat of Arms with the motto 'ADVANCE AUSTRALIA' and a monument surmounted by the Titan Atlas in a kneeling-crouching position holding a globe on his shoulders. It is holed and has a metal ring through the hole.

Obverse Description

At centre a tall monument surmounted by the Titan Atlas in a kneeling-crouching position holding a globe on his shoulders; around, 'BROKEN HILL SILVER MINE'.

Reverse Description

At centre, Advance Australia Arms with emu and kangaroo supporters and the motto 'ADVANCE AUSTRALIA' on a ribbon below; around, 'MINING [E]XHIBITION 1890 Holed through the E.

Edge Description

Plain.

Significance

Silver was first found in the Broken Hill area in 1883, and in January 1885 a rich vein of silver turned out to be one of the world's largest known silver-lead-zinc lodes. The syndicate which secured the find established the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP) later that year. Other silver mining companies in the area included the Beltana Broken Hill Proprietary Silver Mining Company, incorporated in 1888, which purchased four mineral claims on the Ediacara field from the Broken Hill Miners Prospecting Syndicate. -Broken Hill City Council web site http://brokenhill.local-e.nsw.gov.au/council/; Fairfax Walkabout

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