In fantastic news for both locals and tourists alike, iconic Broken Hill landmark White’s Mineral Art and Mining Museum has reopened to the public, just in time for the school holidays.
The museum had lain dormant ever since the passing of revered owner and local artist Kevin ‘Bushy’ White, but has now been taken over in a caretaker capacity by local Larry Angell, who is serving as custodian for the White family.
“We’ve given it a clean-up and starting to get a few shingles in and that’ll help pay the electricity bill for Mrs. White. The easiest way to describe it is I am a caretaker running it on behalf of the family,” Mr Angell told the Truth.
Mr Angell has been in discussions with the White family about getting the landmark reopened, and it seems that day has come.
“It really is such a valuable asset to the community of Broken Hill,” says Mr Angell.
The museum contains over 400 mineral artworks created by the late Mr White, an abundance of mining history and scenery and also one of the largest doll collections you’ll find in this neck of the woods.
“There’s hundreds of mining scenes that relate to the way mining was done, both in the past right through to the future. And the place is also full of mining memorabilia,” Mr Angell told us on a tour of the facilities.”
The museum was renowned for not only the visual aspect, but also the in-depth talks given by Bushy explaining on all the artwork, memorabilia and dioramas. It’s a tradition Mr Angell is keen to continue.
“I’ll do the same thing because Bushy used to work underground on the mines and I did too, albeit for only about 10 years. I’m a former tour guide at the Royal Flying Doctors. I also do tour guiding out at Daydream Mine. So it really is my forte to talk to people about how the mines operate,” said Mr Angell.
Despite his excitement at running the museum, Mr Angell stressed he is just a caretaker and that the family is still looking for a buyer for the key slice of Broken Hill history.
“If I was 10 years younger, I would love to take it over. There is so much potential. Hopefully, if we’re able to help the family attract a new buyer, I’ll be able to work with the new buyer as well.”
The museum is open Thursday through Monday from 10am until 2pm, but Mr Angell said he can be flexible with opening times. And during these school holidays, entry is half price.
If you are interested in purchasing a local landmark, contact Jody Lindsay at 0411 492 599.
