Top three sites to see in Blackall

Nestled on the banks of the mighty Barcoo, Blackall is the 4th stop on your Outback Queensland Masters road-trip.

Literally growing on the sheep’s back, Blackall was put on the map by blade shearer Jackie Howe in 1892, when he set a world record for shearing 321 sheep in 7:40! Now memorialised in bronze, the Jackie Howe sculpture welcomes visitors to town and serves as a memory to the township history.

Check out the top 3 sites to see in Blackall:

1. Black stump

If you’ve never heard the saying ‘beyond the black stump’, it just so happens that the Black Stump is in Blackall. When pioneers were passing through the area, they declared that everything west of where they were (now the township of Blackall), was ‘beyond the black stump’. Surveyors used the stump for the placement of their transit to gain latitude and longitude observations.

Make sure you find the replica stump in town where an information board tells the tale.

2. Blackall Woolscour

Discover history in action at the Blackall Woolscour, the last remaining steam operated wool washing plant in Australia. A living museum with a direct link to Australia’s pioneering era. Operating from 1908 until it closed in 1978, the scour played a large part in the lives of many Blackall families.

The machinery is operational every day and is run on steam from May to the end of August. Guided tours operate on the hour, every hour, starting at 9am and the last tour departing at 4pm.

3. Outdoor art gallery

Blackall has the reputation as the Arts Capital of the West, boasting an outdoor gallery of public artworks created by local and well renowned artists, which range from scrap metal sculptures, wool carvings and hand-painted murals to large bronze depictions of the town’s most famous.

Tick off all nine sculptures along the Sculpture Trail, from ‘Eagle in its Nest’ made from recycled railway bridge material, to ‘Lifespan’ created from recycled bore casing.

Top tip: Leave ‘Roly Poly’ to last – it provides the backdrop for an epic Instaworthy sunset picture.

Image credits: Blackall Tambo Regional Council

Visitor Information

108A Shamrock St, Blackall QLD 4472
07 4657 4637
blackalltambotourism.com.au

Accommodation

Blackall accommodation includes motels, hotels and caravan parks.

BARCOO HOTEL 95 Shamrock St, Blackall (07) 4657 4197 barcoohotel1@iinet.net.au
BARCOO RIVERSIDE CAMP Isisford Blackall Rd, Blackall (07) 4657 4637 blackalltambotourism.com.au
BLACKALL CARAVAN PARK 53 Garden St, Blackall (07) 4657 4816 blackallcaravanpark.com.au
BLACKALL COOLIBAH MOTEL 36 Shamrock St, Blackall (07) 4657 4380 coolibahmotel.com.au
BLACKALL MOTEL 153 Shamrock St (07) 4657 4611 blackallmotel@bigpond.com