Population 1,588 (2011 census) Postcode(s) 4472 State electorate(s) Gregory Founded 1868 Local time Saturday 1:10 AM | Established 1868 LGA(s) Blackall-Tambo Region Elevation 284 m Postal code 4472 Federal division Division of Flynn | |
Location 960 km (597 mi) NW of Brisbane
688 km (428 mi) W of Rockhampton
215 km (134 mi) SE of Longreach Weather 22°C, Wind NE at 18 km/h, 79% Humidity | ||
Blackall is a small town and rural locality in the Blackall-Tambo Region in Central West Queensland, Australia. At the 2011 census had a population of 1,588. It is the service centre for the Blackall-Tambo Region. The dominant industry in the area is grazing.
Contents
- Map of Blackall QLD 4472 Australia
- Geography
- History
- Heritage listings
- Transport
- Facilities
- Education
- Climate
- Notable people
- References
Map of Blackall QLD 4472, Australia
Geography
Blackall is approximately 960 kilometres (600 mi) by road from the state capital, Brisbane. The town is situated on the Barcoo River and Landsborough Highway (Matilda Highway).
Blackall claims to be the home of the original Black Stump, which marks the original Astro Station established in 1887. Places west of this point are said to be 'beyond the black stump'. The Black Stump was moved from its original location to make it more accessible to tourists, and can now be found on the boundary of the Blackall State School grounds, Thistle Street, Blackall. Blackall has many attractions for public use and entertainment, including the Blackall showground, the local pool and the historic Blackall Woolscour.
History
The region was explored in 1846 by explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell and his party. In 1856, Augustus Gregory passed through the area noting that the landscape was a vast plain lacking vegetation in contrast to Mitchell's description of good country. Blackall was named by Surveyor Abraham H. May after Sir Samuel Blackall, the second Governor of Queensland. During the 1860s the town developed as a service centre for the surrounding pastoral properties. A survey of town allotments was conducted in 1868.
Barcoo Post Office opened on 1 April 1864. It was renamed Blackall in 1868.
Blackall State School opened on 10 September 1877. On 5 October 1964, the school was destroyed by fire, but was subsequently rebuilt.
On Tuesday 29 March 1881, following seven inches of rain, the river burst through the town embankment, completely washing away the stonework of the dam. On Wednesday 30 March, the still-rising river flooded the town's main street and many people in the town's lower-lying areas were forced to evacuate as their homes became fully submerged.
Blackall was one of the first Queensland towns to sink an artesian bore in 1885, which now supplies the town with water from the Great Artesian Basin. The water temperature is 58 degrees Celsius. There is an artesian spa bath at the aquatic centre and locally produced soft drinks are made from the artesian water.
In December 1890 the Australian Labor Party constitution and rules were drawn up at Blackall, during the founding of this party. In Australian folklore, the best known citizen of the town was the shearer Jack Howe. In 1892, he shore a total of 321 sheep at Alice Downs station in 7 hours and 40 minutes, a record for hand shearing that still stands, and was only broken by a shearer using a machine driven handpiece in 1950. A branch line from the Central Western railway reached Blackall in 1908.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School was established in 1917 by the Sisters of St Joseph. The opening ceremonies were conducted on Saturday 21 July 1917 by Archbishop James Duhig.
The Blackall War Memorial commemorates those soldiers who died in World War I. The memorial was dedicated on the 25 April (Anzac Day) 1927 by James Charles Minnis (former mayor of Blackall and a former soldier). The honour roll of those who died in World War II was added later.
Blackall's population was more than 3,000 in 1965. A declining population has coincided with the decline in the wool industry in the district.
Heritage listings
Blackall has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Transport
Sunstate Airlines, operating as QantasLink, has services connecting the town to Brisbane.
Facilities
Blackall has a public library, showground, racecourse, golf course, bowling club and aquatic centre, cultural centre and an historical association.
The Blackall Golf Club has an 18-hole golf course at Shamrock Street (24.42172°S 145.45276°E / -24.42172; 145.45276 (Blackall Golf Club)).
Education
Blackall State School is a government primary and secondary (P-12) school located at the corner of Hawthorne and Shamrock Streets (24.425596°S 145.470046°E / -24.425596; 145.470046 (Blackall State School)). In 2012, there were 152 students enrolled with 14.5 teachers.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic primary (P-7) school located at 109 Thistle Street (24.42004°S 145.459587°E / -24.42004; 145.459587 (St Joseph's Catholic Primary School)).
Climate
The town has a semi-arid climate according to Köppen (BSh).