The Richest Lode: Broken Hill 1883-1988

History Australiana Local & Regional History

The Richest Lode: Broken Hill 1883-1988 by R.J. Solomon charts a century of Australian mining grit, from the first silver strike to the modern city that rose above the world’s richest lode. This first-edition hardcover, 1988, pairs a tight, clean text block with crisp illustrations that bring the desert shafts and smoky smelters to life.

Housed in its original illustrated dust jacket, now shielded by a clear archival cover, the book presents beautifully on a shelf or in a collection focused on Australiana, industrial heritage, or local history. A barely visible page join at one early leaf is the only cosmetic note; otherwise the binding is square and the pages free of marks, smoke, or dog-ears.

Collectors seeking vintage Australian non-fiction, historians tracing mining technology, or regional readers with Broken Hill roots will value this copy. The Richest Lode remains the go-to reference for understanding how a remote outback camp became the engine room of a nation’s economy.