Chapter 36: Blackall to Longreach

Tuesday Week 14

Both Wendy and Kellie were a little despondent over their early breakfast, having got up at 6:00 am. Kellie was despondent because her partner was leaving for four days and Wendy because of that too, of course, but even more so because of the death of her favourite aunt.

Dave had them at the bus stop in plenty of time.

"Look after her for me, won't you Dave? And thanks for all you've done for us both" Wendy said to him, giving him a hug and a kiss.

Then she turned to Kellie and said "I'll be alright. You try and enjoy yourself. I know Dave will treat you right. Bye my love" and gave her a big passionate kiss.

After the bus had driven off, Dave took Kellie's hand and led her back to the car.

"You'll be OK, Kellie. I will look after you, so don't worry. Let's go back and pack up the RV as we are off to Blackall this morning and although it is just under 300 kilometres, there's a lot to see and do on they way" he said softly to her, giving her a hug before she got into the car.

It was just before 9 am when Dave drove with just Kellie beside him north to Augathella, only 83 kilometres away, but their first stop. This was a small town, steeped in a fascinating history of bushrangers and bullockies.

Dave and Kellie spent 20 minutes viewing the 'Outback to Augathella' documentary, before spending another half an hour wandering around looking at the colourful murals and rustic metal sculptures.

They had a cup of tea before setting of for the next stop, Tambo, a town famous for its teddy bears. Both watched teddy bears being made in the local workshop from local sheepskins and then filled with wool. Each bear was numbered and a district property included in its name.

Of course they went into the Visitor Information Centre, located in the Post and Telegraph Museum, housed in the old post office built in 1876. Tambo was just a tiny bit bigger than Augathella, both towns having populations of around 600.

They enjoyed lunch that Kellie made parked at the Tambo Lake, now a recreational area for locals and tourists. The gardens were very attractive and there were plenty of outdoor tables and chairs where they could sit to eat their lunch and take in the atmosphere.

It was after 2 pm by the time Dave set off for the final stage to Blackall, a bigger town with a population of around 1,600. He was parking the RV in the caravan park just on 3:30 pm.

Dave suggested that after the obligatory visit to the local information centre, their first port of call should be the butcher shop as it was time to get some more meat and this was just the sort of country town where he thought it should be possible to get good meat. He was right too, as he and Kellie selected a few more meals worth of fresh local meat and then bought some fresh vegetables.

By the time Dave got them back to the RV, Kellie said she'd like to put a roast on, so busied herself getting it ready and into the oven, while Dave sat and watched her. He loved watching her preparing meals, especially as she seemed to enjoy cooking so much.

"There, that's done, now we just have to wait for a couple of hours before we can eat. While we are waiting, how about that massage you promised me two days ago? It must be my turn for one now" she implored.

Dave was a little reluctant, concerned to make sure he wasn't taking advantage of Wendy's forced absence, but Kellie seemed determined, as she undressed completely right in front of him, got the towel and lay on the bed.

Grabbing his massage oil, Dave took his T-shirt off and got onto the bed next to Kellie and started to give her a thorough and proper massage. It was nearly 45 minutes before he first brushed her breasts, by which stage Kellie was totally relaxed and feeling as if she was floating.

But Kellie was determined to have what she had received from Dave last time and knew that Wendy had got from him as well.

She grabbed Dave's hands and put them on her breasts, telling him "I want the same as last time, Dave, the same as you gave Wendy too."

Ever eager to please, Dave proceeded to ensure her breasts received the full treatment before gliding down to her sex with his hands and mouth, totally loosing track of time as he massaged, fondled, licked, sucked and bit her until she was crying out with sheer joy and delight as she felt wave after wave of bliss and satisfaction sweep over her.

Dave continued his attentions, but easing back until he was just lightly stroking her as he felt her body relax and a look of contentment spread on her face. He moved up and laid on top of her, her breasts pressing into his bare chest as he kissed her deeply, their tongues intertwining enabling Kellie to taste herself on his tongue and lips, before she moaned her delight to him as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight.

As Dave rolled off her, Kellie knelt up and undid his shorts, pulling them off and said simply "my turn to give you some pleasure."

Soon it was Dave who was groaning as Kellie lavished attention on his penis. His hands moved to the back of her head, gently holding her as he thrust up into her mouth and ejaculated his culmination.

This time it was Kellie's turn to lay on top of him, her breasts again pressed into his chest as she kissed him, letting him share the taste of himself in her mouth, as his hands wandered over her back and down to her bottom, gently squeezing her cheeks.

They lay there for some time, not speaking, regaining control over their breathing and reflecting on the pleasure they had both given and received.

Eventually Kellie got up and told Dave that it was time for her to finish getting dinner ready. Dave stayed lying on the bed watching her, both still naked, as she busied herself in the kitchen. I'll definitely never tire of watching a beautiful woman in the kitchen, Dave thought to himself, especially when she was in the nude.

Both did, however, dress before sitting down to eat.

It was a most enjoyable roast dinner, washed down with a fine bottle of red wine. When the meal was finished, Dave suggested they watch a DVD. Although he had seen his whole collection in the past three months, because each was one of his favourites, he was happy to see them again. Tonight he chose Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts, which Kellie hadn't seen.

"That was so enjoyable; funny but also with a bit of a message" was Kellie's comment when the movie had ended. She had sat next to Dave held his hand during the movie.

"Glad you liked it. It is one of my favourites" Dave said, adding "well good night, after the early start this morning, I'm tired, so I'm off to bed" as he undressed, keeping his underpants on and gave her a firm, but not too passionate kiss before climbing into his bunk.

Kellie said goodnight in a disappointed voice; it appeared as though she was expecting him to sleep with her, which Dave was concerned she might be.

Wednesday Week 14

Kellie prepared them a nice cooked breakfast before Dave drove them 'beyond the black stump' as the very famous Australian saying went.

Whilst there are allegedly a number of origins for this saying, the origin was supposed to be the place behind the State School in Thistle Street, where a black stump was used for surveying purposes and permanently marked the original Astro Station established in 1887. Surveyors placed their theodolites on this stump for latitude and longitude observations.

Apparently the stump had been used rather than a set of legs because it was more stable. This enabled the mapping of Queensland on a more accurate basis. At that time, it was considered that the country west of Blackall was beyond the 'Black Stump'.

The piece of petrified wood that Dave and Kellie saw, replaced the original stump which had been burnt out.

"Amazing, isn't it how we use sayings such as this and then find out what they really meant originally" Kellie said.

Their next stop was at the Information Centre. One of the things that Dave found out, that apparently was not widely known now, was Blackall's claim to fame was once based on the popular, and for the time, rather risqué limerick:

'A popular girl of Blackall

Wore a newspaper dress to a ball

Her rig-out caught afire

And burned her entire

Front page, sporting section and all.'

Equally, 'Banjo' Paterson made much of the town's river, the famous Barcoo, including the memorable lines:

'On the outer Barcoo,

where churches are few

and men of religion are scanty,

On a road seldom crossed

save by folk who are lost

One Michael Magee had a shanty.'

Could he have had somewhere around Blackall in mind, their brochure posed?

The signs outside the town also declared 'Welcome to Blackall - you are in merino country. Blackall - the biggest cattle selling centre in the Central West. Population 2,234.' In an area of Queensland where monotony was the norm these were significant claims for a small town to make.

Located 1,127 kilometres north-west of Brisbane and 284 metres above sea-level, Dave liked the fact that Blackall was a rather attractive country town with trees down the centre of the main street, lots of old-style pubs and a lazy air which was in keeping with its location.

Apparently the area around Blackall was explored by Sir Thomas Mitchell in 1846. He came across the Barcoo River, which he called the 'Victoria', believing that it flowed north into the Gulf of Carpentaria. He returned to Sydney buoyed up by this information. Less than a year later, Edmund Kennedy returned to the area and proved Mitchell incorrect by following the Barcoo until it became part of the mighty Cooper Creek, a misnamed river if ever a name was incorrect, because it certainly wasn't a creek, especially when it rained.

The town was first settled in 1864 and in 1868 it was surveyed, gazetted and named after Samuel Wensley Blackall, then the governor of Queensland. Blackall died three year later in Brisbane but not before he had inspected a new cemetery at Toowong and chosen the site with the greatest elevation for his remains.

The area around the town was taken up by huge pastoral leases and over the next forty years the town became an important centre for transportation. Prior to the arrival of the rail service in Barcaldine in 1886 it was the main town in the region.

Perhaps the most famous event in Blackall's history was the remarkable shearing achievement of Jackie Howe in 1892. The event has been memorialised in the form of a handsome statue located outside the Tattersalls Hotel in the main street. The inscription on the plaque explained why Howe was still so admired in western Queensland:

'World Champion Blade Shearer Jackie Howe (John Robert Howe) 1861-1920. Blade shore 321 sheep in 7 hours 40 minutes at 'Alice Downs' Blackall on Monday 10 October 1892'.

At the time, this was a world record that was not beaten until 1950, when electric shears were introduced. According to local mythology Howe's remarkable abilities came from his huge hands and the fact that he trained by squeezing a rubber ball. In later life he became a publican and was much liked by his fellow shearers.

Their next port of call was to the Blackall Woolscour, about 4 kilometres north of the town. Here Dave and Kellie found a living museum with a direct physical link to Australia's pioneering era.

The term 'wool scour' means the washing of wool after it has been shorn, Dave and Kellie were told on their tour. Blackall had the last working example of a steam-powered wool washing plant with a 20-stand shearing shed attached. Both Dave and Kellie thought that this unique, totally authentic tourist attraction was not only full of history and culture, but also had a great educational and interesting fascination.

Apparently, the scour operated under steam power from 1908 to 1978 and as a tourist attraction, it had been recreated to do so again. After the organised tour, Dave and Kellie then wandered around the old buildings that were open for inspection.

Next, Dave drove them to the east of the town where one of Queensland's most important Aboriginal sites, the Black's Palace artefacts, was located on Marston Station. It constituted the largest complex of Aboriginal drawings known to exist in Central Queensland. The paintings were set on the sandstone cliff faces of a gorge which was about 500-600 metres long and about 200 metres wide.

Anthropologists have recorded some 9,471 figures in the area, ranging from stencils of hands, feet, boomerangs and axes to drawings of spears, clubs, shields, snakes and lizards. There are also a large number of abstract patterns.

Finally, it was back to the RV for a fairly late dinner.

Later, after coffee and port, Dave said goodnight to Kellie and went to bed, before she could suggest any other options. It wasn't that he was not interested; he just thought it wouldn't be fair to take advantage of Wendy's absence.

Thursday Week 14

Dave got up and went for a bike ride in the morning, figuring it was time for some healthy exercise. When he got back, he re-attached his bike to the RV and then went inside. As he did, he was assailed by the wonderful smells of Kellie cooking breakfast; sausages, bacon and eggs.

When they had cleaned up and packed the RV, Dave set off for the next stop – Barcaldine, only an hour and a half north along the Landsborough Highway, which was also known as the Matilda Highway.

Located some 1,080 kilometres north-west of Brisbane and 273 metres above sea-level, Barcaldine had a population of 1,700 people. It was hard for Dave and Kellie to imagine that this town was central to one of the more significant events in the political life of Australia: the shearers' strike of 1891, which played an important role in the events which led to the formation of the Australian Labor Party.

The shearers' strike, together with the maritime strike of the preceding year, constituted the greatest labour disturbance to that point in Australian history, affecting the general community like no other previous strikes. The unions, to increase their effectiveness, amalgamated and centralised, as workers began to see their fates as interlinked. However, both the maritime and shearers' strikes were defeated when the Queensland and NSW governments sided with business interests, which were similarly amalgamating their associations to form a united front to oppose the unions.

The strike was sparked in January 1891 when shearers at Logan Downs Station, near Clermont, were told they had to sign the Pastoralists' 'contract of free labour' before commencing work: a move intended to reduce the influence of the unions in the sheds. A month later the centre of the strike had shifted to Barcaldine.

In March the pastoralists began bringing in non-union strike-breakers, who were protected by the police and troopers of the colonial governments. Retaliation took the form of crops and woolsheds being set alight. Strikers marched in strength at Barcaldine but the colonial secretary then ordered the arrest of the union leaders. 120 mounted infantry surrounded the union office at Barcaldine and arrested the strike committee while infantrymen with fixed bayonets guarded the police station. In a move intended to break the back of the strike, the union leaders were charged with conspiracy and sedition and gaoled for three years apiece.

The arrests and dwindling funds caused the 1891 strike, like that of 1890, to fold. The failure of militancy to achieve the desired outcome prompted the labour movement to turn its attention to the pursuit of political power as a means of advancing the interests of working people. Labour Electoral Leagues were formed and one of the strike committee members, T. J. (Tommy) Ryan, from Barcaldine Shire, became the first genuine representative of Australian labouring people when he was elected to the Queensland parliament in 1892, leading to the formation of the Australian Labor Party. This led labour's rivals to unite in a similar way, generating the two-party system as Australia knows it today.

The symbol of the strike was the 'Tree of Knowledge', located in Oak Street in front of the railway station. Striking shearers held their meetings under this 150-year-old ghost gum, or Eucalyptus Papuana for the enthusiasts. It was here that they sang Henry Lawson's great poem 'Freedom on the Wallaby' with its stirring final verse:

'We'll make the tyrants feel the sting

Of those that they would throttle;

They needn't say the fault was ours

If blood should stain the wattle.'

Beside the tree was a monument in the shape of a pair of shears. The stated aim of the monument was to:

'Honour the men and women of the labour movement who congregated in this area and, through their courage, determination and dedication to the principles, ideals and objectives of the labour movement, played a leading role in the formation of the Labor Party and further spearheaded the many reforms that resulted in the vastly improved way of life for the Australian people generally.'

Tragically, someone poisoned the tree and it died, but fortunately, a cutting of the original tree had been previously struck and grown in the Australian Workers' Heritage Museum.

The first European to pass through the Barcaldine area was Sir Thomas Mitchell, who arrived after good rains and proceeded to sing the praises of the area, describing it as 'the finest region I have seen in Australia' and waxing lyrical about 'grass shooting up green from old stalks'. The locals, who know only too well how dry and harsh the area around Barcaldine can become, look upon Mitchell's analysis with bemusement. However Mitchell's enthusiasm was contagious and in 1863 Donald Cameron overlanded sheep from the New England area and settled on a 64 kilometre frontage along the Alice River, which he named Barcaldine Station after his family's property in Scotland.

In spite of this early settlement the town wasn't gazetted until 1886 when it became the western terminus for the railway line from Rockhampton.

Designed to complement the Longreach Stockman's Hall of Fame, from the other side of politics, Dave thought that the Australian Workers' Heritage Museum was an interesting museum in Ash Street, and it was award-winning to boot. It proffered itself as a tribute to all of the nation's working people, their history, heritage and traditions.

The award-winning museum was located in the former grounds of the old Barcaldine State School, with old school structures renovated and incorporated into the exhibition space. Other historic workplaces, such as a one-teacher school, a railway station and a police watch-house, had been relocated from around Queensland.

Artefacts, artworks and multimedia presentations helped to tell the story with displays including features on the shearers' strike, the role of women in outback life and the importance of Aboriginal stockmen.

Dave found it to be not only unique, but an educational and interesting feature, that he would remember for a long time. He marvelled at how long he and Kellie spent wandering around and through all the exhibits.

Their next stop was at the Barcaldine and District Folk Museum. Like many of the museums in western Queensland, it was full of memorabilia collected from locals, including a rare Edison gramophone dating from 1900, some barbed wire from the 1870s and a 1923 ticket issued by Qantas. While both Dave and Kellie found it to have the chaotic appearance of a junk shop, nevertheless, it was a fascinating collection of everything from old pots and pans to antiquated newspaper articles. The grounds outside the museum even included the town's first motorised fire engine and a Southern Cross windmill.

Dave drove around the town and he and Kellie thought that the most remarkable of all Barcaldine's buildings was the Masonic Lodge on Beech Street. Built in 1908 as a bank, it stood out from everything around it, because the façade, a hugely elaborate combination of friezes and arches, was actually painted on. The effect was at once pretentious and eccentric.

Around the corner they found St Peter's Church to be a superb example of the use of timber in outback Queensland. The church was built in 1899 and with elaborate tongue-and-groove boards and craftsmanship that made it a worthy example of Queensland's distinctive architecture. Apparently, Dave discovered, it was built for the modest sum of £520.

Dave was also fascinated to discover that all the streets in the town are named after types of trees. On the outskirts of town, at the end of Pine Street, was the Beta Farm Slab Hut, a reconstruction of an 1880s structure that demonstrated some superb craftsmanship. The owners had furnished it with unusual objects from the period including a kitchen cupboard made out of piano cases and an extensive display of dolls.

One of the rare things Dave drove past was the Radio Theatre. This first opened in 1926 with silent movies before the theatre introduced talking movies in 1931. Today it still operated every weekend, with customers sitting on old style canvas seats.

When they finally got back to the RV, once again Kellie prepared a lovely meal for her and Dave. Just as they finished cleaning up after their meal, Kellie's phone rang.

"That was Wendy" Kellie said after she put the phone down. "She can't believe it, but apparently she has just inherited her Aunt's house and property, including a couple of business interests, which she certainly wasn't expecting. Unfortunately, though, she has to stay and fix a number of things up and run the businesses. It appears that this is the end of our long holiday and she wants me to try and join her tomorrow in Brisbane.