A miner and his family at Thackaringa in the late 1800s. Source: Broken Hill Library Archives. 

Contexts in source publication

Context 1

... and treatment methods evolved with, and contributed to, this development model. Initial mining involved shallow excavation of surface-enriched silver ores using simple equipment and technology, including hand tools, windlass or horse whip for shaft sinking. As the larger and more complex deposits were identified, mining shifted to deeper shaft sinking, more sophisticated ore concentration and employment of teams of miners. This was funded at first by syndicates, associations and eventually public companies. The remote location, limited water supplies and lack of sufficient fuel, precluded early on-site smelting. Instead, selected high-grade ore was transported by bullock teams to the nearest railhead at Terowie in South Australian, then by train to Port Adelaide and finally shipped to Europe for treatment. As more discoveries were made the railway was extended to the growing silver-lead field to dramatically reduce transport costs. Local smelters were constructed, particularly after the Broken Hill lodes were discovered and recognised as immense, allowing processing of lower grade ore at the mines. Eventually it proved more economical to rail concentrates produced on-site Developments on the Barrier Ranges silver-lead field resulted in social changes reflecting the transition from small-scale mining by independent prospectors and miners (Fig. 4) through to company mining in which the miners were employees working on contract or for wages. The change from artisanal to industrial scale mining, with the associated hazards and controls, also fostered the rise of robust unionism at Broken Hill. Such independent miners would eventually become contract or wage labour as the big company mines developed in the Barrier ...

Context 2

... lodes were discovered and recognised as immense, allowing processing of lower grade ore at the mines. Eventually it proved more economical to rail concentrates produced on-site Developments on the Barrier Ranges silver-lead field resulted in social changes reflecting the transition from small-scale mining by independent prospectors and miners (Fig. 4) through to company mining in which the miners were employees working on contract or for wages. The change from artisanal to industrial scale mining, with the associated hazards and controls, also fostered the rise of robust unionism at Broken Hill. Such independent miners would eventually become contract or wage labour as the big ...