Miners Cottages link present day Broken Hill with its past

The Emaroo cottages in Broken Hill have a fascinating past which is linked closely to the origins and development of this famous outback mining city.

The Emaroo Argent cottage is located, not surprisingly on Argent St which used to be Broken Hills main street. Constructed circa 1890 this cottage like many of the miners cottages in Broken Hill is built on stumps to provide some isolation and respite for the house, its contents and those living inside from the ground shaking explosions from the mines nearby.

The cottages are clad in corrugated iron, which was easily and cheaply transported from Adelaide. Initially the cottages where built with simple wooden frame room dividers with hessian cladding on the inside, and only one or two rooms. As the family grew, rooms could be easily added giving a zig-zag outline to their roofs.

Later the cottages where decorated with ornate pressed tin and painted in bold colours when the women arrived to live in Broken Hill as miner’s wives. Homes still have the outward appearance of a miners cottages but have been significantly renovated and are now comfortable modern accommodation.  In many cases there are still many nostalgic touches retained and incorporated into the renovations such as the ornate pressed tin ceiling.