If you've ever considered travelling to check out AU's remote outback towns, Silverton NSW, while not huge, is not only famous for its history in silver mining but also because it has starred in many iconic Australian movies shot in the area such as Razorback, Mission Impossible II, Mad Max 2 and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. 

In this very engaging poem, Brian Lee shares his personal experience of this remote but classic 'Aussie outback town'!

'S I L V E R T O N '  - by Brian Lee

 
Think of a skillet, too hot for the hand,
Think of a desert - nothing but sand,
That’s Silverton.

See a town lost, bare streets with no names,
The few houses stand empty, sagging wood frames,
That’s Silverton.

The very earth grovels as if pleading to live,
But it lies baked and sterile, with nothing to give,
That’s Silverton.

Imagine a pub, alone on a hill,
Nothing moves there, everything still.
Imagine their dog, a three legged hound,
Doing nothing but twitch, as it lies on the ground.
That’s Silverton.

But it’s the heat that most hits you, sitting drinking a beer,
The heat so oppressive, the beer cool and clear!
That’s Silverton.

Very few live in this nearly dead place,
There’s little to keep them, no future to face.
Just passing tourists, come to sample the heat,
As they walk through the place, on burning hot feet.
That’s Silverton.

But then they all leave, in the coach, where it’s cool,
And lounge at their hotel, round the inevitable pool.
Where there’s grass that is green, and trees that grow tall,
Where houses crowd together and gardens are small.
That’s almost anywhere but Silverton!

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Text © 2022 Brian Lee
Silverton image © Copyright 2022 Destination NSW.

Check out some great phots & history of Silverton here!
https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/outback-nsw/broken-hill-area/silverton 

Got a Poem or Ditty of your own?
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