Broke, New South Wales

Broke is a village of approximately 400 people in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia in Singleton Shire. It is located 157 kilometres to the north of Sydney on the original early colonial road from Sydney to Singleton (26 kilometres north). [Robinson's Road Atlas of Australia, Lansdowne Press, 1983]

Description and History

The area is well known for its boutique wine production and is usually referred to as the 'Broke-Fordwich' wine region (a sub-region to the more famous Pokolbin area nearby). There is also substantial open-cut and underground coal mining in the area between Broke and Singleton. The village also holds an annual fair in Spring.

Broke contains a primary school, a Catholic Church, an Anglican Church and a service station with store and post office. The brick house on the south side of the store is the former police station and lock-up. [http://www.singleton.nsw.gov.au/templates/singleton_content.aspx?pageID=484 Retrieved 16th January 2008] The south side of Broke provides views across properties to the Broken Back Range, the most conspicuous feature of which is the sandstone formation known as Yellow Rock. [Broken Back Topographic Map 9132-3-N, Land Information Centre of New South Wales]

Approximately 12 kilometres north-west of Broke is an 80-hectare site containing rock shelters with several Aboriginal paintings, which are thought to depict Baiame, the Sky Father who created the world through his dreaming. The site, which is on private property, is popularly known as Baiame Cave and is on the Register of the National Estate. [The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981]

Gallery

ee also

Singleton, New South Wales

Cessnock, New South Wales

References