Stumped over origins

With six towns claiming the proverbial black stump as their own, the origins of this Australian idiom remain a conundrum.

Story By John Dunn

‘Beyond the black stump’ is one of the most Australian of all Australian sayings. Although generally considered to be some place far, far away, there are variations in the specific meaning. In The Australian Language, author S.J. Baker says the phrase means “the outward limit of mythical distance”, while the Reader’s Digest describes it as “the last outpost of civilisation”.
But the real disagreement is over the location of the original black stump, with several towns making a claim. The two principal contenders are Coolah and Merriwagga, both in NSW, with the former having an arguably stronger case. Others in the mix include Blackall and Mundubbera, both in Qld, Johnsonville, Vic, and Paringa, SA.