White Rocks Reserve is a nature reserve on the outskirts of Broken Hill. This Reserve contains a milky quartz outcrop which was the site of a small arms exchange known as "The Battle of Broken Hill". It was the only battle of World War I fought on Australian soil and resulted in the death of the two ambushers. The incident occurred on 1 January 1915 when two Afghan immigrants, ice cream vendor, Gool Mohammed and camel driver Mulla Abdulla, ambushed a train carrying civilians en route to an annual picnic in nearby Silverton.
Being Muslims, both men had sworn allegiance to the Sultan of Turkey and considered themselves at war with Australia. After the ambush, which took place at Trail No. 107 and claimed four lives, the men retreated to this nearby hill called White Rocks where they were killed by police and volunteer military forces after a three-hour gun battle. A replica ice cream cart now stands at the site of the shoot-out.
Depending on your point of view, Alma Cowie was the first Australian to be killed by the enemy on home soil in World War I, or the first Australian to fall to an act of terrorism. The 17-year old girl was one of 1,200 residents of Broken Hill who were riding the Manchester Unity New Year's Day picnic train to Silverton that day. 48 shots at the train. Three people were killed and 10 were injured in the attack in which two Turks engaged in their own two-man war against Australia. Reporting the incident, the local newspaper made reference to "The Afghan Menace".
An ore truck marks the site of the Broken Hill picnic train attack on New Year's Day 1915. White Rocks Reserve, where the shoot out took place, is some distance away.
