A day at the races
PHOTOGR APH BY T HOM AS WIELECKI AG 71, JUL–SEPT 2003, OUT TAKEREWIND
REVELLERS PERCH IN anticipation of the day’s events in the grandstand at Broken Hill’s
Silver City Cup races. Donning their finest hats and frocks, these ladies seem impervious to the
scorching 40°C heat. Otherwise known as the ‘Oasis of the West’, Broken Hill is Australia’s oldest
active mining town and epitomises the outback’s harsh beauty. The annual extravaganza sees a
six-race program culminating in the Silver City Cup, a fond reminder of the once-bustling bush
racing scene that thrived in the post World War II years. First run in 1899, the event was the
lifeblood of tourism for Broken Hill, attracting the entire city and those from beyond. Today,
it’s no longer the highlight of the local social calendar, but roughly 3000 loyal, country racing
enthusiasts – such as these ladies – remain dedicated to preserving the tradition, despite the
steady decline of rural racing nationwide. The Silver City Cup signals the start of the tourism
season for many in the far west, and, while it might not be the race that stops a nation, Broken
Hill’s competition is certainly no less fun or frilly than Melbourne’s famous Spring Carnival.130 Australian Geographic