Silverton is no ghost town

Silverton is a small village at the far west of  NSW, 26 kilometres (16 mi) north-west of Broken Hill. With a population of about 50 people.

The town sprang up after the discovery of rich silver deposits, although it was soon eclipsed by an even richer silver-lead-zinc ore body at nearby Broken Hill. The town is often referred to as a ghost town however, there remains a small permanent population and mainly tourist related businesses. Several artists live in or around the town, including Peter Browne, Albert Woodroffe and John Dynon, with some maintaining their own galleries.

Most of the original buildings have now vanished or lie in ruins, but there are some interesting buildings that remain, including the Silverton Hotel and the Silverton Gaol. Silverton has been the scene for more than 140 films and commercials thanks to the light, the character-filled colonial buildings and its scenic desert surrounds.

The hotel has been seen in several productions, and its inside walls are covered with memorabilia, these productions include Razorback (film), The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Flying Doctors, and Dirty Deeds.^[2] A ‘lookalike’ of the famous Mad Max car the ‘Interceptor’ was on display outside the hotel from 2002 but has since been sold and is no longer there. There is now however a privately owned Mad Max 2 Museum that pays homage to this great movie that was filmed in the region with lots of memorabilia and houses not one but two Interceptor replicas.

The Penrose Caravan Park was a great place to camp the night and is also dog friendly. There are tennis courts, children’s playgrounds, wood and gas barbecues, walking trails and even a bush golf course.
The Park is a safe haven for animals. Many call Penrose home and all have been donated. Horses, goats, sheep, peacocks and a wide variety of birds dot the landscape. One popular resident is a white crested corella, who always has the time for a chat. There’s wild kangaroos and joeys and outside the hotel there were donkeys waiting to be served.