Day 28 May 11 2012 - Blackall

Today we did a lot of the tourist things here in Blackall.  

We started with the 10am tour of the Historical Woolscour.  Blackall has the only fully intact steam-powered wool washing plant left in Australia.  The Woolscor operated from 1908 until 1978, and is now a tourist attraction.  The machinery is still as functional now as it was when it was in operation.  Our tour guide was an old bushie/drover, his name was Beaver and he is 83 years of age.  The tour was very interesting and certainly worth doing.  There was a bore at the Woolscour which pumped out water at between 48 and 62 degrees C.  We couldn't believe how hot the water was.

Beaver explaining the Bore

Part of the machinery at the Woolscour

I suppose this was luxury accommodation in their day

We then visited the site of the "Black Stump".  This was used for surveying purposes and marks the Astro station which as established in 1887.  This is where the saying "beyond the Black Stump" comes from.

Petrified Tree Stump which marks the site of the Astro Station

Jack Howe, is Australias most famous shearer.  He holds the record for shearing 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 minutes,.  There is a memorial sculpture of him in town.

Jack Howe - Legendary Shearer

Fossilised Tree Stump - this was found on a local property.  The wood is believed to be up to 225 million years old.

Major Mitchell Clock - this clock honours Major Thomas Mitchell who explored the area in 1846.

Pioneer Bore - this was the first site in Queensland to be chosen for an artesian bore.  Blackall relies on the Great Artesian Basin as its main source of water and apparently households do not have to have water heaters as the water is piped directly into their homes. 

We then went to the Aquatic Centre.  We spent an hour or so in the hot Artesian Spa.  We were just about to leave when we heard someone call out Graham's name.  Well surprise, surprise it was Lynn and Noel Craggs.  For those of you who don't know them they belong to the Jayco Nomads Caravan Club that we used to belong to.  We knew they were travelling in this area but thought they were much further behind us.  As it is they are probably travelling the same way as us for the next couple of days so we will probably catch up with them again in Balcardine tomorrow.

It's amazing who you meet when you are so far from home "The Craggs"

Aquatic Centre