Broken Hill is best known for mining heritage, grand streetscapes and outback art, but woven into its official Silver Trail tourist route is a far darker chapter of Australian history. Stop number 107 on the trail marks the site of the Battle of Broken Hill, an event widely regarded as Australia’s first act of Islamist terrorism.
Quiet, understated and easy to miss, the ambush site sits beside a railway line just outside town. There are no crowds here, no grand memorial, yet what happened on this ground on New Year’s Day 1915 shocked the nation and left a permanent mark on Australia’s wartime story.
Mullah Abdullah's suicide note
A Terror Attack on Civilians
On that summer morning, a special picnic train carrying around 1,200 men, women and children set off from Broken Hill to Silverton for the annual Manchester Unity picnic. As the train passed through scrubland, two armed men opened fire on the open ore wagons, deliberately targeting civilians.
Four people were killed and several others wounded. The victims were not soldiers. They were families celebrating a public holiday — making the attack a clear act of terrorism rather than a military engagement.
The attackers, Mulla Abdullah and Gool Badsha Mahomed, declared their actions as part of a religious war, aligning themselves with the Ottoman Empire’s call for jihad against Britain and its allies during World War I. Their motive was ideological and religious, not personal or local.
From Ambush to Armed Pursuit
After firing on the train, the men fled toward the rocky hills west of town, raising an Ottoman flag and leaving behind a note pledging allegiance to the Sultan. A three-hour gun battle followed near what is now White Rocks Reserve, involving police, military units and armed volunteers.
Both attackers were killed, bringing the incident to an end, but the event remains unique in Australian history as the only wartime attack on civilians carried out on Australian soil during World War I.
The Ambush Site Today: A Low-Key Stop on the Silver Trail
Today, the ambush site forms part of Broken Hill’s Silver Trail, a self-guided tourist route that links key historical locations across the city and surrounds. Despite its significance, this stop is remarkably understated.
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| Photo Credit - Trip Adviser |
A single ore wagon memorial marks the location. Signage is minimal. Many visitors pass without realising they are standing at the scene of a terrorist attack that once reverberated across the country.
That simplicity, however, gives the site its power. With trains still passing and the landscape unchanged, it’s a place where history feels close — and deeply confronting.
Why This Stop Matters
Including the Battle of Broken Hill on the Silver Trail ensures the story is not forgotten or sanitised. It acknowledges that alongside mining triumphs and civic pride, Broken Hill also bears witness to the dangers of extremist ideology imported from distant conflicts.
For visitors, this stop offers more than a history lesson. It’s a moment for reflection — on the victims, on how global events can reach even remote Australian towns, and on the long roots of terrorism in this country.
Quiet though it may be, the ambush site is one of Broken Hill’s most important historical locations, and a worthwhile visit for anyone interested in Australia’s past beyond the postcard image.
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