Blackall to Yaraka

CONTENT: Australia / Outback Queensland / Blackall / Emmet / Yaraka

TRAVEL JOURNAL:

26.09 - 01.10.21

After an unsuccessful shortcut attempt from Hell Hole Gorge to Emmet-Yaraka Rd we retreated the same way back to Adavale. 220 km long Adavale-Blackall Rd was taking us through picturesque mesa hills which were towering over generally open plains.
Blackall is a locality in Central Western Queensland and sits on the Outback touring route known as the Matilda Way (Landsborough Highway). Though Blackall’s former fame as a shopping location for regional grazing properties is clearly diminished, the locality is proudly presenting it’s pastoral landmarks and has the reputation of the Arts Capital of the West. The former shop-buildings house various art galleries; the streets are full of interesting sculptures and the walk around the town reveals an array of murals depicting remarkable events from it’s history.
After recent remote days, Blackall felt like an oasis of comfortableness. With 2$ entry to the aquatic centre we soaked our bodies into spa baths fed by the Great Artesian Basin. Blackall was one of the first Queensland towns to sink an artesian bore in 1885. Besides relaxation, the water at 58 C offers immense utilization potential.

During the colonization of Australia, expression “beyond the black stump” became the symbol of “known vs unknown” or “civilized vs uncivilised”. Blackall has it’s own claim of the origin of the expression. In 1887 group of surveyors came to Blackall area and established an Astro Station with a device placed on a stump of wood. The station was used to map Queensland and measure distances from Brisbane. But how the borders were able to expand “beyond the black stump” in practice depended on discovery of artesian water.

Wool industry was one way to economical prosperity but besides sheep-grazing, the wool needed to get processed and transported. Wool scouring emerged in 1840s as an alternative to sheep washing. It used hot water and artesian bore offered that in abundance. It is believed that manual wool scoring started at the town bore in 1890s. At the same time steam driven mechanised scoring started to dominate and local businessmen lobbied for a railway line and in 1908 the steam-powered woolscour was opened 4 km from the town centre. At the time it was one of the many mechanical woolscours in the area but closing in 1978 it was the last one still to operate. In 2002 the restored complex was opened to visitors and today Blackall Woolscour is the only steam-powered woolscour to be preserved. During the Covid time, the supportive buildings were closed, but the steam engine, mechanical wool wash and massive drier were impressive.

Ram Park in the town centre was like a local version of the Stockman’s Hall of Fame – the collection of old buildings and machinery displays were bought in life by Benno, a former stockman. Playing on our unfamiliarity with the business, Benno surprised with clever tricks and our visit culminated with crafting a whip cracker.

The Blackall Saleyards was established in 1968 and today is the major selling centre in Western Queensland. Over 120,000 head of cattle pass through these yards each year. Willing to experience that part of Outback life, we stayed in town till the Thursday sale. The saleyards have been recently refurbished and overhead viewing platforms and tracks offer visitors an excellent sight into the heart of cattle sale. We joined with a tour hosted by a retired livestock agent who helped to orientate amongst the speed-dial of the agents; silent signalling of the buyers; price and kilos displayed on electric screen. Eventually our guide demonstrated his business jargon at bull ring where Wolf was invited to play the part of the bull.

To continue our way towards Birdsville, we left the bustling saleyards and followed the now-closed Blackall-Yaraka railway line.
While admiring the sight of sheep resting under the shade of an old shed in ghost town Emmet (a former railway siding, nowadays populated by a couple) we noticed a motor-bike nearing to us. After a chat, John the Last Man Standing invited us to meet his pet-kangaroo who seemed to have built a bond with the house-cat.
The sun was setting as we reached the Mt Slowcombe turnoff near Yaraka. Up the hill, suddenly a bus tour organized by the Yaraka hotel rocked up and we were welcomed to listen one of the most enlighten and honest overviews of the struggles of Outback life.
Yaraka Hotel is renown for it’s resident emus. In the morning we bumped into one and spotted an emu with 9 chicks making his way over the railway lines. Wolf was lucky enough to be invited to feed bread to an emu.

NEXT
Equipped with a hand-drawn map of the never-established township of Welford we continue our journey West towards the desert.

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