Anything west of here "is beyond the Black Stump". Located behind the Blackall State Schools in Thistle Street is the Black Stump memorial. This site represents the observation used to establish a principal meridional circuit traverse around the town in 1888. This surveying was done to gain a more accurate basis for maps of Queensland. The surveyors used the stump for the placement of their transit to gain latitude and longitude observations. The use of a stump rather than a set of legs gave more stability for the transit. As time passed any country to the west of Blackall was considered to be 'beyond the Black Stump'. Visit Navena Homestead at Ram Park to see the original transit that was placed on the Black Stump for the surveying purposes between Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.
