PetalliTravellers: The Big Lap - Week 2.

 We started week 2 heading to Blackall for our 3 day lockdown starting at 6pm. We stopped at Tambo for a walk (and Peter's coffee). Once in Blackall we set up in the RV reserve. The camp beside the river is large and dusty but as many vans as usual so we set up down near the river.

We went to the information centre to pay our $10 a night permit fee and then headed to the hot springs pool for a swim. Good value at $2 each.

It was lovely to stay put for three days – reading, doing crosswords, sewing, just relaxing.

At the end of the 3 day lockdown we packed up and headed north-west to Barcaldine for Easter eggs and lunch then up to Longreach. Masks still needed to be worn inside and outside if one couldn’t social distance. 

It was strange seeing everyone wearing masks, and it made me glad that so many people are being responsible (that, and the fact that police were fining people on the spot for not wearing a mask. 

Once in Longreach we drove through and out the other side to the Apex Park RV site.

We have stayed here before and the cost has gone up from $3 to $5, still a bargin. Right on the Thompson River with a lovely fenced off grassed area with toilets, picnic tables and bbq shelters. It is a very large area of dirt and we were surprised that there were only about 20 vans there. Bonus! We got a good site and set up for the Easter break.

We had planned on a devonshire tea on the Saturday, but the shop was closed. We stocked up with groceries and fresh food, we walked around the railway station,

and talked about where we would stay if and when we do a train trip to Longreach.

We went to the QANTAS museum to see the planes. Good to see they are now under cover.

We took our photos of the Tropic of Capricorn sign. We plan to take a similar photo on the other side of the country in a few months.

On Easter Sunday, and the prediction of rain, we departed Longreach and headed to Winton.

The Winton Way Out West Country Music Festival was about to begin, so wewere unsure if we would get a camp site, but to our surprise the back of the Australia Hotel only had 3 other happy campers there.

Camping is the cost of a beer

 

 – although Peter wasn’t having a drink without the rest of us, so four drinks and dinner, was the cost! 

We were across the road from the original Chinese Market garden and shop.

 

Last time we were here it was a small plaque outside a falling down tin shack. This time the garden has been reclaimed and a large sign is at the front. 

One can walk around the garden and interpretive signs tell one what was grown or happening there.

The old shack is now supported and filled with replicas of what would have been there at the turn of the 20th century.

Great job Winton, I love seeing history portrayed for the younger generation to see. We walked up and down the main street and were lucky to see the open air picture theatre open.

Every other visit it has been closed, thank goodness for the music festival. There is a small museum type room with old projectors and roller skates, not sure what the roller skates are for. The theatre itself has old movie posters around the walls and deck chairs look so comfortable. One day we will see a movie there.

We also went up to the Musical Fence for a play.

We thought about staying a little longer to see the Hill Billie Goats and Sara Storer, but Peter was keen to get moving, so onto Julia Creek and week 3 of the BIG LAP.

See PetalliTravellers on YouTube.

Blackall - home of Jackie Howe

We intended to drive to Barcaldine, but happily spent too long in Tambo, so only drove 103km to Blackall on the Barcoo River. For $8 per night in the riverside camping we had a perfect riverside site. We have been coming here since 2013 and paying fees and now we can see the benefit of the fees. It use to be a dust bowl, but now is covered in green grass, and it is very close to town. Now it has drinking water taps spread around the common. The toilets across the road have been updated. It was always a good stop over, but now it is even better, so we unhitched and stayed for two days.

Blackall was established in 1868 and was named after the second Governor of Queensland, Sir Samuel Blackall. The towns water supply is from the Great Artesian Basin

We filled up with fuel and visited the Blackall Woolscour. Blackall has Australia's only fully intact steam-powered wool washing plant left in Australia. It started operating in 1908 until 1978 and today is a tourist attraction. It costs $17 ($16 for seniors) to do a tour of the factory, but it is free to walk around the grounds.

We next went to the Blackall Aquatic Centre. Blackall is situated on the Great Artesian Basin and thermal water feeds the Barcoo Creek and therefore the Barcoo River. The water is hot and relaxing. The pools were larger than expected and Peter said the coffee was good. It costs $2 to swim and it is free to look.

We did some shopping – Peter likes a roast for Saturday night – and then had a walk up and down the main street. There are a lot of information boards along the street telling the history of the town, but Blackall is probably best known for the original Black Stump and Jackie Howe.

Jackie Howe is Australia's most famous shearer who set two shearing records in 1892. The main street has a replica of the Universal Hotel owned by Jackie Howe. Jackie Howe was born John Robert Howe about 1861 in Killarney near Warwick, and began shearing and moved to Blackall in the late 1870's, and married his wife Margaret Alexandra Victoria Short there in 1890. He was a strong member of the Queensland Shearers Union and was active during the 1891 and 1894 shearer strikes that lead to the formation of the Australian Labor Party. In 1900 he abandoned shearing and purchased the Universal Hotel at Blackall, sold it in 1902 and purchased the Barcoo Hotel, and repurchased the Universal Hotel in 1907. Howe had the hotel until 1919, when he moved to Sumnervale. He died the following year, leaving behind his wife, six sons, and two daughters. He is buried in Blackall Cemetery. The replica of the Universal Hotel was built on the same site as the original by Jackie Howe's granddaughter and her husband Mr Muir.

The site of the Black Stump is located behind the school in Thistle Street. This is one of the sites that surveyors used to survey most of Queensland. This is where the term 'beyond the Black Stump' comes from – meaning any place west of the black stump. The stump is no longer there, but has been replaced by a petrified stump. The mural in the back depicts what the original scene would have looked like. A bit of Australian history.

The town has many statues and sculptures, and there is so much more to see. The houses are beautiful and from a forgotten time. This year Blackall is 150 years old and in August/September there will be 10 days of celebrations. Each time we come to Blackall we notice the improvement, from the first time when there were many closed shops to today where the town has pride in promoting its heritage and tourism.

Beyond the Black Stump - Blackall

After lunch at Tambo we headed to Blackall and a camp we have stayed at before on the banks of the Barcoo River.  Both Peter and I like Blackall,  and if we were to to EVER think about retiring to the country,  it would be Blackall.  We love the history and the friendliness of the people.

We headed straight to the information centre which is located in an old railway carriage in 'Ram Park'. This is where one pays the $8 fee for camping. During the afternoon a volunteer exercises his horse and goes from van to van saying O'Day and having a chat - he was also checking that campers were registered. 

There is so much to see. The main street has history boards telling the story of the buildings and it's people,  there are town murals, and interesting sculptures are dotted all around town. This one is the 'Eagle and the Nest' and is at the end of the camp ground.

The town is famous as the town of World Champion Shearer in 1892, and for the 'Black Stump'. The Black Stump is located at the site used by surveyors in 1888 to establish a principal meridional circuit around the town to work out latitude and longitude. Similar to 'going to the back of Bourke',  if one were going outback one would say 'going beyond the Black Stump. 

Sir Thomas Mitchell explored the area in 1846, and land was opened up for settlers establishing many cattle and sheep properties. The town of Blackall was declared in 1868. It was named after Queensland's second Governor,  Samuel Blackall. 

The first meeting of shearer that led to the formation of the Shearer's Union in December 1886. This group later became the Australian Labour Party. We will visit other sites related to the ALP and shearers in the week to come.
All the water in Blackall is from the Great Artesian Basin and down the road from our van was the original 1885 Pioneer Bore. Blackall was the first town in Queensland to sink an artesian bore.  It was sunk to 800 metres,  and is one of three bores that service the town today. The water is a very hot 58-62 degrees centigrade. 

The bore water overflow runs into the river. The river was originally Victoria River, but was changed to Barcoo, Aboriginal meaning 'ice on water'.

There were about a dozen vans in the camping area when we arrived and about another dozen came while we were there. It is an easy walk to town and the pubs and cafés. We only stayed one night, but will plan to stay longer next time. The town seemed to have more shops open this time,  which is good for the town. We spent the afternoon relaxing by the river.

Bit of trivia - Pauline Hanson was married here in Blackall.

Blackall

Wednesday 11 September 2013
After Augathella we headed north through Tambo to Blackall for overnight.

Tambo is famous for it's Teddies. 

Sadly the Teddy shop was closed, but Peter and Jonnie had a pie and sausage roll.

Once at Blackall, we had a look at the council camping area located on the Barcoo River, and headed to the Tourist information centre to pay our $8 (2A 1C) for the night. There was an interesting collection of old hats, and the history of sheep in the area. We still haven't seen a live sheep on this trip.

Restful afternoon, just watching the comings and goings.

The camping area was very large. Most campers camped by the river or the small toilet blocks.

There is no water or power, so you need to be self contained. Council cars patrolled a couple of times during the afternoon / evening to check camp tags and security. Maximum stay is 3 nights. We stayed 1.

There are a number of public art sculptures around Blackall. This one is called The Eagle and Nest.

It is made of railway dog spikes and timber and bolts from the old bridge.

These photos were part of Photo a Day - shadow

At the tourist centre I picked up a historical walking tour of the town and on the Thursday morning we walked up one side of the street and down the other. Peter was looking for a coffee shop for his morning fix - there were none. This is the memorial to Major Mitchell, who was the first European to explore this area in 1846.

We did see this funny sign - don't know that it really welcomes business!

Some more public art. This one is of Jackie Howe. He became famous in 1892 for shearing 321 sheep with blade shears in 7 hours and 40 mins not far from Blackall. This art work is outside the Universal Hotel that Jackie owned.

Love bug.

Afterwards we drove to behind the school to the Black Stump. It is situated behind the school in /thistle Street. Surveyors used this stump to record the latitude and longitude observations. Prior to this anything west of here was known as beyond the black stump.

We saw a lot of these signs.

Happy Travels
Allison