Verandahs on cast iron posts shade the main street, which holds the Palace Hotel where many scenes of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert were shot.
What Argent Street looks like
Argent Street is the main commercial street in Broken Hill. Many of its shopfronts stand under verandahs on cast iron posts. One row of five keeps its original verandahs substantially intact. Cars park along the kerb in front of the shops. From some points on the street, the tower is visible at the far end.
On the corner stands the Post Office, a two-storey building of red brick laid in Flemish bond, with a verandah around its ground floor. Its clock tower rises 86 feet to a slate pyramid roof.
The has lacework verandahs on both floors, in the Victorian filigree style. The 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert shot many of its Broken Hill scenes there. At the time of filming it was called Mario's Palace. The murals fill more than 500 square metres and appear in several scenes. A mural of Botticelli's Venus is painted on one ceiling. The hotel still takes guests. One of its rooms is the Priscilla Suite.
In the film, the three leads go shopping on Argent Street itself during their first stop in Broken Hill. , a sports shop on the same stretch, has a silver sign over dark glass.
A First World War cenotaph stands in the , with a bronze soldier on granite blocks. The has a long flat verandah across its front.
Shot in Argent Street
The 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert shot many of its Broken Hill scenes in the Palace Hotel. It also shot a shopping sequence on Argent Street itself.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994
The Palace Hotel
Played Mario's Palace
The production filmed many of its Broken Hill scenes in the hotel, which at the time of filming was called Mario's Palace. A reception scene in which the owner stuffs a chicken made it into the film. The murals appear in several scenes. Street View
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994
Argent Street
The three leads go shopping on Argent Street, the town's main drag, during their first stop in Broken Hill. The production names the street, not a particular shop. Street View
What Argent Street can double for
Gill Street in Charters Towers, Queensland
Gill Street runs through the centre of Charters Towers, a gold town. The Stock Exchange and Royal Arcade were built at its northern end in 1888 and 1889, so the street's period fits Argent Street's. Modern signage and parked cars give the street away in a wide frame, so keep shots tight on the fronts. Try searching gold town street now.
Main Street in Maldon, Victoria
Maldon is a gold town. The National Trust of Victoria has praised its buildings for their variety of styles. Gold was found there in 1853, so its main street belongs to a mining era, as Broken Hill's does. The praise is for variety of styles, so a mixed run of fronts holds the match better than a single facade. A tight frame keeps modern signage out of the picture. Try searching gold town main street now.
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