led to a sudden decline in Silverton's population, with many of those leaving taking their homes with them. 20th century By 1901 the town and immediate area was home to less than 300 people, but it remained popular as a venue for recreational outings by Broken Hill residents. In 1915 The Battle of Broken Hill took place when a New Year's Day picnic train from Broken Hill to Silverton was attacked by a gunman from Afghanistan, and modern-day Pakistan. Penrose Park, named after John Penrose, a pioneering brewer at Silverton, was the attraction for these picnic excursions. Located beside Umberumberka Creek in a rare belt of greenery at the outskirts of Silverton, it was not so much a product of the early mining era at Silverton as of the mining boom at Broken Hill. In 1893 it was the unsuccessful site for a racecourse. Then for decades it became a picnic ground, but remained relatively neglected until the mid-1930s when the Broken Hill mining companies decided it was an admirable recreation site for their employees. Money was spent on upgrading sporting facilities, playgrounds, and parklands, such that throughout the 1940s and 50s it became a major recreational facility. Huge annual picnics/fairs were held there by social and sporting clubs, and by mining companies. For example, it was reported that the eighth annual Zinc Mine employees picnic in 1941 attracted one fifth of the entire town of Broken Hill. The convoys of family cars headed to and from Broken Hill to Penrose Park were so heavy that it became one of the first sealed roads outside Broken Hill. By the mid-1960s interest began to wane, as did support from the mining companies, and so the park fell into slow decline. Penrose Park remains today, but is now a quiet public campground, popular with families and 'Grey Nomads'. Although it is a mere shadow of its heyday half a century ago when it thronged with activity, many relics of that era remain. Demographics In the 2016 Australian census, Silverton inhabitants were 46.9% Male and 53.1% female with a median age of 53. It has a total of 12 families in 39 private dwellings with a median household income of $899 per week. Present day Silverton today is inhabited by a permanent population of only about 50 people, but its history and location make it a relatively popular tourist destination. Several artists live