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.

Centre of Queensland - Muttaburra

Muttaburra is the closest town to the center of Queensland and the name is derived from the local Aboriginal tribe of Muttaburra,  which means the meeting of the waters - being the rivers Thompson and Landsborough. 

We were following the Heritage Trail,  and our first stop was The Pump Hole, just before Muttaburra. This is a free camp where explorer Landsborough camped. We wouldn't camp here.

A skeleton was found in 1963 in this area and was named Muttaburrasaurus Langdoni after the town and the property owner, Doug Langdon,  where the skeleton was found. Two replicas are found in the town. Barb the dinosaur is on the east side of town and is made of old and no longer needed barbed wire.

There are a few shops open in town, a pub and general store. Most structures have been removed or destroyed,  but heritage boards tell of what was there. Two buildings that remain are the Cassamatis Store and house.  These have been preserved from the 1930’s,  and is now a museum.

There is a lot of public art in and around the town, many made from scrap metal. These two are from outside the school and depicts school life of old. 

This one is across the road and named Shearer - and - Sheep. 

Following the Heritage Trail we went to the pioneer bore, again from the Great Artesian Basin. This is the only water supply for the town. We then headed out to the Union Hole. This is also a free camp, and not a bad one. This is where shearers carted water to their camp sites during the shearers strike of 1891, that eventually led to the formation of the ALP.

We then headed back to one of the Union Camps. It is so good that the people of the area have allowed this to remain,  for over 100 years. I would assume that some parts have been rebuilt or restored. 

On the way back to Muttaburra we came across an obviously new picnic area beside the overflow lake from the artesian bore. There was a shaded table and water available,  and some more art. We had lunch here.

In the centre of town was the second Muttaburrasaurus replica. This one is the life size of the skeleton found near here. The Muttaburrasaurus was a plant eater.

On the way out we saw some more art.

And this sad Singer sewing machine in someone's garden. 

We also drove down to look at another free camp at Broadwater,  which wasn't to bad, but if we were to stay in Muttaburra we would stay at the council caravan park, more basic than Aramac, but for $12 a night power and water, and the deal pay for two get two free, who would pass that up?

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.