Broken Hill motel is pure gold in silver town

BROKEN Hill’s award-winning Lodge Outback Motel boasts an array of tourism awards and a phenomenal rate of return.

The leasehold for the popular 23-room property is on sale for $450,000 after it posted a net profit of $178,522 for the pre-COVID year of 2018-19.

Broken Hill is one of the most fascinating destinations in Australia – a real-life time capsule where the great mining prosperity of the 19th century blends beautifully with a hip art scene, all set against the endless vistas of a sprawling desert landscape.

Michael Philpott, from Tourism Brokers, said the Lodge Outback Motel offered a varying choice of rooms and was among the top accommodation businesses in Broken Hill.

There is a small and neat three-bedroom property right next door that can be used as a manager’s residence or additional letting accommodation.

“Broken Hill is absolutely powering ahead,” Mr Philpott said.

“You’ve got the grey nomads who are all heading there as a must-see location.

“The new Mad Max movie is being shot out there, too, and there are new major tourist drawcards and a lot of infrastructure going in, with plans for an incredible new art gallery in the centre of town.

“It really is an iconic destination and the Lodge Outback Motel is perfectly placed for the visitors.”

Broken Hill is 1050km west of Sydney and 500km north east of Adelaide, and is ideally located for holiday traffic, close to the Silver City and Barrier Highways which connect the area to Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The city was founded in 1883 by Charles Rasp, who was working as a boundary rider when he discovered silver and lead. Soon Broken Hill unveiled the richest silver and lead deposits in the world. Rasp and six partners founded the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP), which became Australia’s biggest business.

Mining at Broken Hill’s BHP mines ceased in 1939 but the region still supports large silver, lead and zinc operations, as well as a recently developed mineral sands mine. Broken Hill became Australia’s first heritage-listed city in 2015.

The surrounding district is one of big, wide skies,  rocky red earth and a fascinating history that once made its desert location the bedrock of the Australian economy.

The bright red soil contrasted against the deep blue skies has attracted artists and film-makers alike, and the city has been the backdrop for many major  movies. The harshness of the desert has been ideal for the post-apocalyptic Mad Max, while the The Palace Hotel played host to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

There are twice as many art galleries as there are pubs in Broken Hill, and the city has become renowned for bush artists and artisans gravitating to the city to bask in its stark landscapes and colours. 

Broken Hill has a pulsating arts community with both galleries and  displays of artists at work.

The city also has a thriving retail hub, and Argent Street remains one of Australia’s classic streetscapes. 

Diverse outback tourism experiences are at the heart of the Broken Hill experience, as well, and two new Camel tour operators have started up in Broken Hill and nearby Silverton.

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