Terror in Broken Hill: New exhibition delves into 1915 Picnic Train attack

One of outback NSW’s most infamous events - the 1915 ‘Picnic Train attack’ where four people were killed in the only enemy attack on Australian soil during World War I – will be retold in a fascinating new exhibition.

Broken Hill’s Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum has curated the exhibition called ‘1915’, which will feature memorabilia from the attack, including historical photographs, newspaper clippings, train ticket stubs, and parts of the ice cream cart that one of the perpetrators was hiding behind when the shooting took place.

The new permanent exhibition has been supported by Crown Lands, part of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, who provided consent for the exhibition to be established on the museum’s Crown reserve.

Crown Lands also recently awarded the museum a $193,175 grant from its Crown Reserves Improvement Fund (CRIF) to repair external stone walls of the historic 119-year-old station building to improve its structural integrity and ensure the museum continues to flourish.

The Picnic Train attack took place on 1 January 1915, when 1,200 people boarded a train for a 23- kilometre journey from Broken Hill to Silverton, north west of the Silver City. The New Year’s Day Picnic was an annual event for members of the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows and their families.

As the train left the outskirts of Broken Hill, two men carrying a Turkish flag shot at passengers. Picnic trains of the era comprised open ore trucks modified to include temporary bench seats. The design allowed passengers to enjoy the open air but also left them exposed to the attack.

The two perpetrators fired at least 40 shots at the slow-moving train before fleeing. Four people were fatally shot during the initial attack and subsequent manhunt: Alma Cowie, Alfred Millard, William Shaw and James Greig, with seven others wounded. The perpetrators, Gool Mohamed and Mullah Abdullah, were killed in a gunfight with police at a nearby white quartz outcrop.

The attack left an indelible mark on Broken Hill. The exhibition will examine the attack and its aftermath through primary sources, including articles from the two local newspapers in circulation at the time, The Barrier Miner and the Barrier Truth. It will also honour victims and explore the aftermath of the attack, including a baying mob that burnt down the local German club after falsely assuming their members were involved in the incident.

Broken Hill’s Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum Complex celebrates Broken Hill’s rich mining, cultural and transport history, and also houses Silverton Tramway Company locomotives and memorabilia. Its heritage building was constructed in 1905 and is a beautiful example of Victorian architecture.

The ‘1915’ exhibition joins five other exhibits in the museum complex: The Broken Hill Migrant Museum, the Hospital Museum, the Ron Carter Transport Pavilion, and the Tess Alfonsi Mineral Collection, along with the Johns Brothers Joyland Fun Fair.

Crown land manager of the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum Complex, Christine Adams, was recently acknowledged for her steadfast effort to preserve, renew, and expand the museum, winning the ‘Individual Excellence in Crown Land Management’ Category at the 2023 NSW Community Achievement Awards.

Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum Secretary Christine Adams said:

“We are very proud of this new exhibition that recounts a momentous and tragic moment in Broken Hill’s history. We have included as many primary sources as possible to give visitors a real sense of the horrors of that day, its aftermath and the complex reasons why it happened.

“We are indebted to Crown Lands for helping facilitate this new exhibition, and the Department’s continual financial support through CRIF grants to help us continue to educate the next generation about our region’s past.”

Member for Barwon Roy Butler said:

“The Sulphide Street Railway Museum is recognised not only as one of Broken Hill’s premier tourism destinations but also a site that explores the Silver City’s complex and unique history.

“The new 1915 exhibition sheds light on a fascinating period for the city and will allow visitors to learn more about an important flashpoint in Broken Hill’s past.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“This 1915 Picnic Train attack has somewhat been lost to history but this exhibition will bring it back into focus and educate the community about the infamous event and the social factors that contributed to it at a time when Australia and Turkey were at war during World War 1.

“Crown reserves support prosperous and resilient communities in many ways, including through outstanding educational venues like the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum.”