Which time zone is Broken Hill in?
Broken Hill switches between Australian Central Standard Time and Australian Central Daylight Time. That’s UTC+9.30 or UTC+10.30 – the same time as South Australia, not New South Wales.
The outback mining town of Broken Hill is located in New South Wales, but it is close to the border with South Australia. Because of this, there has been a history of confusion and debate over which time zone Broken Hill should observe.
Broken Hill time zone
Currently, Broken Hill observes Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) or Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT), which is the same time zone as South Australia. Australian Central Standard Time is UTC+9.30. Australian Central Daylight Time is +UTC+10.30.
However, the rest of New South Wales observes Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) or Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT), which are UTC+10 and UTC+11 respectively.
This means the time in Broken Hill is usually half an hour behind the rest of New South Wales.
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Why is Broken Hill on South Australian time?
In the past, there have been calls to change Broken Hill’s time zone to be aligned with the rest of New South Wales, but these proposals have not been successful. The decision to maintain Broken Hill’s current time zone was made because it is more closely linked economically and socially with South Australia than with the rest of New South Wales.
Daylight saving time in Broken Hill
Daylight saving time in South Australia (and therefore Broken Hill) typically starts on the first Sunday in October. It usually ends on the first Sunday in April the following year. During this period, clocks are advanced by one hour, giving residents more daylight during the evenings.
Good things to do in Broken Hill include the Big Picture at the Silver City Mint, the Living Desert sculptures and Silverton’s Mad Max 2 Museum.
You can also do tours to Silverton and White Cliffs.
Broken Hill accommodation picks
Australia specialist accommodation booking site Wotif offers stays in Broken Hill for from $105 a night. Check out the best deals page here.
To narrow it down a little, you should probably look at the following Broken Hill accommodation choices first.
- For families: Broken Hill Tourist Park.
- For good value on a budget: Lodge Outback Motel.
- For art deco glamour near the train station: Royal Exchange Hotel.
- For central location with a pool: Ibis Styles.
- For character: Astra Hotel.
More New South Wales travel
Walk the America Bay track in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park.
How long does it to take to drive from Narromine to Dubbo?
Walk to West Head Beach and Resolute Beach from the West Head Lookout.
What to do on a Sydney to Eden road trip.
Where to stop on the drive from Wagga Wagga to Mildura.