Online tribute to fallen miners

Published on 04 October 2021

The annual tribute to the city's fallen miners will take place online this year,  with a Miner's Remembrance Ceremony to be broadcast on Facebook.

The event is ordinarily held atop the Line of Lode, but has moved to an online format this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The ceremony will be hosted on Council's Facebook page on midday on October 8, and will be hosted by organiser and Deputy Mayor, Christine Adams.

The event will feature an address from Mayor Darriea Turley AM, a photographic mining tribute, and a minute's silence for the fallen workers.

Cr Adams will also provide a historical presentation on the tragic deaths of Leopold Campbell, 21, and Thomas Jordan, 19, who died on October 8 in the Central Mine in 1902.

Cr Adams said the online format would add a new perspective to the ceremony.

"It's always nice to remember the miners at a physical ceremony, but the online format will make the event more accessible, which is a positive," said Cr Adams.

"There would be thousands of ex-locals who have lost a family member or friend on the mines over the years, but they can't always make the journey back to the city each year.

"This year we'll be bringing the event to them online, so they can take part in the ceremony no matter where they are in the world."

Heritage Committee Chair, Mayor Turley, urged everyone to tune in if possible to pay their respects.

"This ceremony acknowledges a tragic but important part of Broken Hill's history," said Mayor Turley.

"The work and sacrifice of local miners over many decades has played a big part in the prosperity we enjoy in our city today."