The Black Stump – Blackall

Thistle Street, Blackall, QLD

The Black Stump is one of Blackall’s most significant historical landmarks and is closely linked to the famous Australian expression “beyond the Black Stump”.

Located on Thistle Street behind the Blackall State School, the memorial stump was erected in 1988 as part of Australia’s Bicentenary celebrations. It commemorates an important surveying site used during the mapping of western Queensland in the late 19th century.

In 1888, surveyors used a timber stump at this location as a fixed observation point for determining accurate latitude and longitude coordinates. These observations helped establish a more precise basis for Queensland’s maps and surveying network. Over time, the vast and remote country west of Blackall became known as being “beyond the Black Stump” – a phrase that remains part of Australian folklore today.

Visitors can stop by this historic site to learn about the region’s pioneering past and the role Blackall played in the exploration and mapping of Outback Queensland.

While you’re in town, visit Navena Homestead at Ram Park to view the original survey transit that was once positioned on the Black Stump.