The Big Bench Broken Hill

The Big Bench sits on the Line of Lode above Broken Hill, in far-west New South Wales beside the Line of Lode Miners’ Memorial and Visitors’ Centre on Federation Way. From the bench, visitors get sweeping views across the city and out to the Barrier Ranges. The location is symbolic, placing the artwork within the very heart of the ore body that shaped Broken Hill’s history.

A striking piece of public art, The Big Bench is one of Broken Hill’s best-known “big things”. It was designed by artist Andreas Buisman in 2000 as part of the Sculpture Symposium series that scattered works across the city and surrounding desert. The project was supported by BHP, which had long associations with Broken Hill’s mines.

The bench itself is a giant replica of a standard park bench but made on an exaggerated scale. It measures 2.5 times the size of an ordinary park seat, standing about 2.5 metres high, 2.5 metres wide, and 5.5 metres long. Because of its oversized proportions, visitors climbing onto the seat appear childlike in comparison—a playful reminder of scale and perspective in the vast mining landscape.

It was built using steel and timber, with BHP providing materials and assistance in construction. The design intentionally keeps the form simple and familiar, while its monumental size makes it stand out against the skyline.

The Big Bench sits on the Line of Lode above Broken Hill, beside the Line of Lode Miners’ Memorial and Visitors’ Centre on Federation Way. From the bench, visitors get sweeping views across the city and out to the Barrier Ranges. The location is symbolic, placing the artwork within the very heart of the ore body that shaped Broken Hill’s history.

The site is open year-round and is accessible at any time, though daytime visits are recommended for safety and for the panoramic views. The memorial precinct has parking, pathways, and interpretive signage, making it easy to combine a stop at the bench with other attractions on the Line of Lode.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.