The Richest Lode: Broken Hill 1883-1988
Australian History Local History Antiquarian & Collectible Mining History Economic History Industrial Heritage Labour History
First-edition copies of The Richest Lode: Broken Hill 1883-1988 are increasingly scarce, and this 1988 hardcover—complete with its illustrated dust jacket protected by clear plastic—is the one collectors and regional-history buffs actively hunt for. R.J. Solomon’s monumental chronicle covers the extraordinary century that transformed an isolated outback “broken hill” into the most productive silver-lead-zinc lode on earth, financing empires, birthing Australia’s labour movement and pioneering technologies later adopted worldwide. Because the book was printed only once in this large-format, image-heavy form, intact copies now change hands for many times the original cover price.
Inside, Solomon blends meticulous mining statistics with vivid human stories: the early prospectors who pegged the first lease in 1883, the 1909 lock-out that forged union solidarity, the scientific breakthroughs that saved the mines when ore grades collapsed, and the community’s transition to a post-industrial future. More than 140 archival photographs, maps and engineering diagrams—many in colour—show headframes, smelters, street parades, BHP share certificates and the world’s first mechanised underground loading machines. The result reads like a documentary in book form, satisfying both casual browsers and serious researchers who want authoritative detail on ore-body geology, labour politics and the social fabric of an Outback mining city.
For collectors of Australiana, mining memorabilia or industrial heritage, this first edition is the cornerstone volume. It anchors any shelf that already holds Broken Hill: 100 Years of Mining or The Silver City, yet stands alone as the only single-volume centenary history commissioned by the miners themselves. Condition notes—tight binding, clean unmarked pages, no inscriptions, minor cosmetic separation at early gatherings—indicate a copy that has been carefully shelved rather than mined for reference, making it an excellent acquisition for both investment and reading pleasure.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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