roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

The tallest bar is at Meriwagga.

Ta.

Somewhere, I’ve got a photo of where they buried the black stump’s remains.

The Black Stump Legend

In the heat of a dusty outback afternoon in 1886, a bullocky and his wife set up camp near present-day Merriwagga. While the man tended to his team of bullocks, his wife, Barbara Blaine, prepared the evening meal over an open fire. The day was stifling—hot, windy, and dry. Tragically, a sudden gust caused the flames to flare, setting her long skirt alight. By the time her husband returned, it was too late. When people later expressed their condolences, his grim and unforgettable reply was:

“She looked just like a black stump.”

From this harrowing moment, a legend was born. The phrase “beyond the black stump”, now firmly rooted in Australian slang to describe the far reaches of the outback, is said to have originated from this very spot.

The Black Stump Trail driving route is a self-guided journey that takes you through Merriwagga and its surrounding countryside, visit the signage in Merriwagga Park to find out more*.

Along the route you will find the Black Stump Memorial, standing at the original site of the accident on McKinley Road, and Barbara’s final resting place can be found at the Old Gunbar Cemetery—a quiet place to pause and reflect on the harshness and courage of early settler life.