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Black StumpPrint Page 
The original Black Stump was burnt out and replaced by a piece of petrified wood as a project to commemorate the bicentenary of Australia in 1988. The Black Stump was used to place theodolites on it and survey the area. A large mural painted by Mr Bob Wilson which sits behind the stump was opened on the 25th August 1993.
The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788.
The "black stump" saying came about after a group of surveyors arrived on Astro Station near Blackall, in 1887. The surveyors used a blackened tree stump as the base for their measuring equipment. The equipment was so large the tree stump was the most secure base around. The surveyors were at Astro Station to take longitudinal and latitudinal observations, which were to be used in the accurate mapping of inland Australia. From there they were able to fix the position of all the major towns of southern Queensland. Before long people considered anything west of Blackall to be beyond the " Black Stump."
Location
| Address: | Thistle Street, Behind School, Blackall, 4472 |
|---|---|
| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -24.423823 Long: 145.469731 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Settlement |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1887 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1887 |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1988 |
|---|
Australia
1788 - 1988
Placed here in 1886, the Black Stump was used for surveying purposes, to correctly align the map of Queensland. This has been completed by the Student Council. In conjunction with the School Community, Blackall Tourist Association and the Blackall Shire Council as a Bicentennial Project.
