Blackall Station
Violet Street, Blackall 4472
In an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000).
www.police.qld.gov.au
Area and History
The site of Blackall was noted by explorer Major Thomas Mitchell in 1846. On 14
September of that year, Major Mitchell's fourth expedition party discovered the
watershed of a river flowing westward which he eventually named Victoria River after
the reigning Queen of England. The river was later named Barcoo River -- its local
Aboriginal name. The famous Mitchell Grass -- the dominant local grazing pasture -was named after the explorer. The town was named after Queensland's first Governor
Colonel Samuel Wensley Blackall.
Another well known landmark is the "Black
Stump". This is situated in the local State School
grounds and was used in the late 1800s as a
method of stabilising surveyor's theodolites
which were used to survey and divide the towns
as we now know them. The Black Stump sits in
the middle of a meridian square of latitude and
longitude. Early this century, it was considered
that any country west of Blackall was "beyond
the Black Stump" -- possibly referring to the fact
it had not yet been surveyed.
Jackie Howe was a famous local shearer -- and later publican and political figure -who still retains the record for blade shearing 321 sheep shorn in 7hrs 41 mins at
Alice Downs Station. A bronze statue of this mighty man stands in Short St opposite
the Tourist Information Centre.
Another major landmark is the Historic Woolscour -the last of its type in Queensland -- which is being
restored as a major tourism attraction. Blackall is also
known as the place where the first artesian water bore was drilled.
The Australian yarn about a ringer who died hanging by his arm in a tree was no myth.
On 21 October 1912, Alf Devaney, 31, was carting wood and water for a bore-drilling
plant on Terrick Terrick Station south-west of Blackall. That evening he rode off to a
tree containing three baby galahs in a hollow branch hoping to snare a pet. He stood
on his horse's saddle and reached into the nest when the horse walked away leaving
him hanging by his elbow. Realising no-one would be able to help him, Devaney
finally had to sever his arm at the elbow with his pocket knife. He died (probably of
shock as well as blood loss) only metres from
the tree.
Blackall has a town population of 1,650 and a
divisional population of 2,350. It is situated 107
kilometres
south
of
Barcaldine
on
the
Landsborough Highway, is 674 kilometres from
Rockhampton
and
215
kilometres
from
Longreach.
The weather like most of western Queensland is
hot and arid, with temperatures of up to 45°C in
summer and dropping to -2°C in winter. Average
rainfall is 525mm. Water supply is artesian and
flows to the surface hot with a sulphurous odour, but once cooled loses the odour and
is plentiful and good quality. There are no water
meters, and the supply is not limited.
A pastoral industry devoted mainly to the raising
of sheep and cattle still dominates the economy
of the area and the fortunes of Blackall are
directly linked to the state of those industries.
There is some tourist trade which is slowly
increasing as the history of the area is becoming
better known.
State and Federal government departments
employ a significant number of people, although
these have diminished in recent times due to the drought and changes in government
policy.
Retail Outlets / Banking
All basic needs are catered for, but expect prices
to be 50c - 70c above Brisbane prices for
grocery items and $1 - $1.50 extra for frozen
goods. Mail order services from retail outlets in
Brisbane and Rockhampton are often used by
local residents.
The Commonwealth Bank provides full banking
facilities. The Commonwealth Bank also has the
only Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) in town.
The Westpac and National Australia Bank have
In-store facilities at the Council and Australia
Post Offices respectively. These In-stores provide the basic transactions of deposits
and withdrawals. Giro Post is also available at the Post Office. EFTPOS is available at
all service stations, grocery shops and most retail outlets. The closest Queensland
Police Credit union agency is in Rockhampton.
Hospital/Medical
The local hospital has 25 beds and caters for both public and private patients. Two
doctors practice in Blackall, and the Out-Patients clinic is open three times each week.
There is also a Child and Maternal Health clinic. Two medical practitioners work from
the hospital, both with the right to private practice. There are no local specialists, but
the area is serviced by the Royal Flying Doctor Service which provides a surgeon and
emergency medical evacuation. The nearest specialist practitioners are in
Rockhampton or Brisbane.
Queensland Ambulance Service operates a 24 hour service. There are no medical
insurance agencies and all claims are made by post.
Education
A privately owned kindergarten has places for up to 20 children, and three Day Care
Providers have limited child minding places. The State education system provides for
children from pre-school to Year 12. St Joseph's Catholic School has facilities from
pre-school to Year 7.
Many of the secondary school children attend boarding schools in larger centres. The
Central Queensland University accepts students for first year subjects at the campus
in Emerald. There is also a TAFE in Emerald and an agricultural college.
Sporting/Leisure
Facilities for tennis, cricket, football, golf, bowls,
netball, basketball and swimming are available,
and there is also a pistol and gun club.
Blackall has four TV Channels, ABC, SBS,
Imparja and Seven. Pay TV is available, but
installation is above $1,100 for the satellite dish.
Blackall Woolscour, where until the early 1970's
it scoured and baled wool from all the local
stations, is being slowly restored as a museum
and is open for visitors.
Transport and Communication
Telstra and Australia Post provide standard services.
Buses twice a day to Brisbane or Mt Isa. There are three
aircraft per week to Brisbane with connecting flights from
Brisbane to all mayor centres. The Spirit of the Outback
rail service leaves Longreach and travels to Brisbane and
returns via Rockhampton twice weekly.
Policing
To telephone this station or to contact police regarding
any non-urgent matters, please call Policelink on 131 444. In an emergency,
contact Triple Zero (000).