Moment · Australia
Broken Hill: Tracing Priscilla Into the Outback
Sleep in the Priscilla Suite at Broken Hill’s Palace Hotel, then drive out across the red plains to the film sets of Silverton.
The Outback Town That Embraced a Drag Queen Classic
Broken Hill is a mining town in the far west of New South Wales, surrounded by red earth and saltbush. In 1994, it became the unlikely setting for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the film in which two drag queens and a trans woman cross the outback in a tour bus.
The town has embraced the connection ever since. Each September, it hosts the Broken Heel Festival, three days of drag and disco in honour of the film.
A trip here combines film history with some of the most striking landscapes in the country.
The Palace Hotel
The Palace Hotel opened in the late nineteenth century as a coffee palace, and its walls are covered in murals painted by a former owner. Priscilla used the hotel as a central set, and the murals appear on screen.
Today you can stay in the Priscilla Suite, the room where the film’s characters slept. The reception area even sells drag accessories, and the bar downstairs is where locals, miners, and visitors share the same counter.
The Broken Heel Festival
The Palace Hotel’s managing director, Esther La Rovere, started the Broken Heel Festival in 2015 after meeting the film’s writer and director, Stephan Elliott. It has grown each year, with drag performers from across Australia, a street party and a parade along the main street.
Drag queens and locals mix easily, and the festival has become one of the most joyful events on the Australian calendar. Special flights and a themed train from Sydney have carried festivalgoers to town in recent years, part of the fun of getting there.
The hard part is not finding a beautiful place. It is finding the right one for you.
Request a quote →Silverton and the Mundi-Mundi Plains
Around 25 kilometres from town, the old mining settlement of Silverton has been a backdrop for many films, including Mad Max 2. Its pub, galleries, and small museums make an easy afternoon.
Just beyond, the Mundi Mundi Plains stretch to the horizon. Sunset from the lookout is one of the best views in the outback.
Art in the Desert
Broken Hill has long attracted painters, including the Brushmen of the Bush in the 1970s and the artist Pro Hart. Galleries across town show their work.
On a hill outside the city, the Living Desert Sculptures stand against the sky, best visited at sunset. The film also took its characters far beyond Broken Hill, to Coober Pedy and to Kings Canyon, where the final climb was shot. With more time, your specialist can trace their route deeper into the outback.
Planning Your Broken Hill Experience
Broken Hill is a direct flight from Sydney or Adelaide, or a long scenic drive. September brings the festival and pleasant spring weather, while summer is very hot. The festival is popular, so rooms at the Palace Hotel should be booked well ahead.
Out Of Office can arrange your flights, a stay at the Palace Hotel or a more polished hotel nearby, and a private driver to Silverton. Your LGBTQ+ travel specialist can also combine Broken Hill with Sydney or a longer road trip through Australia.
See your complete itinerary before you decide.
Your specialist will bring together every detail of your trip, with clear pricing throughout.
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