It is a city with a history as rich as the mineral-packed earth it is built on, accustomed to boom-and-bust cycles.
Right now it is boom time for Broken Hill's zinc miners, with the price of zinc exploding to a 15-year high and more than doubling since March 2020.
Zinc is selling for $US3,940 ($A5,370) a tonne, when two years ago it was sitting around $1,880.
Broken Hill — like many mining towns — has experienced its fair share of ups and downs over the past decade.
But there is a renewed optimism, mixed in with a degree of scepticism, for what high prices might mean for the town.
'Wait and see'
The Rasp Mine, operated by CBH Resources and employing more than 220 people directly, and two other mines operated by Perilya with more than 300 staff, mine zinc.
CBH Resources chief operating officer Visko Sulicich said his company would consider the price hike a good thing but they were not making any bold moves.
With the price of zinc sitting at such a high, Broken Hill's Mayor Tom Kennedy was excited for what that might mean.
"It's good for Broken Hill and good for the mining companies," he said.
"It'll enable the mining companies to offer them a bit of a reserve that will then allow them to operate at a far less amount of profit."
Cr Kennedy said, while he was unsure how long the price would stay high, he was confident companies like CBH Resources and Perilya would make the most of it.
"I'm sure the mines will make as much money as they can over that period to make them sustainable over the longer period," he said.
It is something echoed by Mr Sulicich who said: "We just have to wait and see. It's much more positive, we're in a very sound price environment and we can make some cash".
That was before he tempered expectations about an extension of the mine's life or an increase in jobs.
Prices influenced by Ukraine
According to West Australia-based mining analyst Peter Strachan, the conflict in Ukraine is playing a part in the price hike.
"The whole base metal commodity complex has gone up because of the war in Ukraine," he said.
Pre-Ukrainian crisis, the price had already reached a 14-year peak in October last year.
"Zinc and lead might not be big players in terms of what Russia and Ukraine might produce, [but] they have gone up because of the other things Russia produces," Mr Strachan said.
It follows last week's positive announcement by company Cobalt Blue, which received backing from the federal government.
Its project 25 kilometres south-west of Broken Hill, if successful, could potentially create 400 additional jobs, not only in construction but on an ongoing basis.
While it is unknown whether prices will continue to rise or fall, Mr Sulicich believed the cautious approach adopted by CBH was ideal considering the amount of variables in the market.
