Formed in 1900, the year that the Barrier Ranges Football Association, precursor of the Broken Hill Football League, adopted a district system, North Broken Hill has been that competition's most successful club (see footnote 1).  The Blue and Whites, as they were popularly known at first, reached a grand final in their very first year, but lost to West Broken Hill by 3 points.  They lost again to Wests in 1901, but broke through for a first flag the following year.

Broken Hill was a veritable hotbed of the game during the early years of the twentieth century, and Norths, with players like Alex Conlin (later a star with West Adelaide), future Magarey Medallist Dave Low, and triple club best and fairest award winner Jack Hunter to the fore, was the most consistently successful side.  Clear evidence of its prowess was accorded in 1907 when it annihilated a combined Port Pirie team by 204 points, 32.29 (221) to 2.5 (17).  Two years later, in the face of the much sterner opposition accorded by top West Australian goldfields side Boulder City, Norths emerged victorious with a single point to spare, 10.12 (72) to 10.11 (71).

In 1910, having just won three premierships in a row, the club sought to test its mettle against leading teams from throughout Australia.  A trip to Sydney produced a narrow loss against a combined NSWAFL side (9.11 to 9.8) followed by a highly impressive 10 goal defeat of YMCA, which was to win the Sydney premiership that year.

Broken Hill football great Ray Egan, winner of a record 5 Middleton Medals, and 9 times voted North Broken Hill's best and fairest player.  (Click to enlarge.)

Josh Savage (left) and Brett Johnson celebrate winning the 2004 BHFL premiership.  (Click to enlarge.)

North Broken Hill's post-World War Two teams were arguably the most powerful to represent the club, and but for a glaring umpiring error might easily have annexed seven premierships in succession.  Victorious in 1945-6-7-8 and 1950-51, the Bulldogs as they were known by this time lost the 1949 grand final to Wests thanks to a goal kicked by Alby House, a former Norths player, after the final bell had sounded.  Astonishingly, almost alone among those present at the ground, the umpire failed to hear the bell, and so the goal was allowed.  Key players for Norths during this period included 1947 Middleton Trophy winner Alan Gillespie, Dick Codd, Perce Fitzgerald, Doug Buss, Ray Schmidt, Norm Dunlevy and Mick McInnes.

The mid-1970s was another illustrious era for the Bulldogs, with players like Steve Minnis and Ray Egan, who won no fewer than eight Middleton Medals between them, Peter Baldwin, John Garnaut and Zane Separovich helping the side to three successive premierships between 19775 and 1977.