Date: 26th May 2021
Travelled: 112 kms from Barcaldine to Blackall
Visited: Blackall, Outback Queensland.
Stayed: Barcoo River Camping Area, $10, limited services.ย S24.42525, E145.46115ย
Budget: 46 days @ $141 per day.
We escape Barcaldine after a quick stop at the bakery and a full tank of fuel from the servo. Just over an hour and a halfโs driving today, including a coffee stop.
More of the same, but different 
Pam loves the big boys 
More of Queenslandโs Fatigue Zone Quizzes.
Blackall Council provide a camping site on the Barcoo River. Itโs only 300 metres from the centre of town. You must be self contained, but it has showers, toilets, water and bins all nearby. Pretty good for $10. We drive straight to the information office for a map, then straight to the camp to settle in.
Blackall, Queensland, Australia
Map of Blackall, our icon on the town camp
The staff at the information centre were very helpful.
The country around Blackall was first explored by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1846. It currently has a population of 1400 people and it seems to be busy with both locals and nomads this morning. Time to find out ourselves so we unload the bikes and head off to take in the sites. Blackall has an excellent cycle path that follows Shamrock Street (the highway).
Roadside Bougainvillea 
Blackallโs Golf Course 
Ram Park History Centre 
The Museum 
Interesting Rail Ambulance
As we ride around we notice all the street are named after flowering plants.
These panels refer to the cover photo of an elephant and the history of the Perryโs circus and the family who founded it.
Jack Howe gun shearer and Blackall legend. There are numerous references to Jack around town, we find thereโs even a sign adjacent to his headstone at the cemetery. About the cemetery, yes we get on our bikes once again and ride the two kms out of town to the cemetery.
Captain MacMillan rode in the charge at Beersheba in 1917 
Lieutenant Margaret Howe was a nurse in the Middle East and New Guinea in WW2 
The single grave that makes up the Chinese Section. 
Just sad… 
Annie acted as a midwife for the surrounding community for many years. She once rode a horse through flood waters for 38 kms to deliver the baby of a station managerโs wife at an outlying property.
The blood moon eclipse never quite worked out in Blackall.
Blackallโs Masonic Temple now a function centre. 
Its story
Lots of boab trees around Blackall 
Steam traction engines on display 
Blackallโs cenotaph
Blackall has a fabulous thermal swim centre including a walk-in 50 metre pool and 3 smaller spa pools at $2 pp a very enjoyable bargain. Anyway we have done Blackall from one end to the other but Iโm sure there are things weโve missed.
Anyway time to continue south on the Matilda way once again.
Michael and Pam
