Silverton - 21 July 2014

We had a walk around the Park. There are 6 tennis courts spread round the entire complex. It is a lovely setting but it does need a bit of work and a bit more cleaning. But at least you don’t have people on top of you.

Our first stop today was the old gaol, which is now the Museum. It had a huge collection of different bits and pieces and was very interesting. There were old typewriters, sewing machines, lace bobbins, smocking machines, mangles (wringer machines), and so many other things. I even saw a pram very similar to the one Mum had for myself and my sisters and brother.

The thing that we found very interesting was the hair straightener or curler. You attached 16 rods to an electric cord inside a hood and you wore this hood. It was invented in 1928 in the States. Looks horrifying!

Resch’s started the Lion Brewery here in Silverton but that is no longer here. From memory they the Resch's Brewery in Wilcannia.

After looking through the museum, we went and had morning tea at the Cafe on the hill, located next to the Mad Max 2 Museum. Not being Mad Max fans, we didn’t go to that. We did have a lovely morning tea at the cafe though. There is a photo on the wall of Dick Smith and his helicopter when he called in for breakfast one time.

 

The Information Centre, called Beyond 39 Dips, is also a gallery, mainly for Howard Steer paintings and we really liked them. They are a bit quirky. Simon Crowley has a gallery just down from this with similar paintings but they aren’t as good in our opinion. Out the front of the Information Centre is an old car which Howard Steer has painted, as well as a pretend loo out the front  where he has painted the door.

John Dynon also has a gallery here and we liked his paintings also. For some reason he had all old bicycles around the outside of his Gallery. He used to work in the mines but has been painting for a very long time.

Silverton reminds us of an old Wild West Town, and there are horses that roam around the streets and the paddocks. This is the street up past the Silverton Pub, complete with horse manure!

We visited the Silverton Pub, which has rows of beer cans round the top of the walls, and had a lovely lunch. Buildings around Silverton have been used in numerous movies. Mad Max II, as I mentioned, as well as A Town Like Alice. There are photos inside the pub of all these events among other things. It was great. And the Pub is the only place in town which has mobile phone/internet reception. They had a booster antenna.

 A lot of people come out to Silverton from Broken Hill for the day. We decided to spend a couple of days out here in the van and we have occupied our time very well. We have enjoyed it. And weather wise, it was the best day we have had for quite a while. Warm and sunny and very little wind.