But more than being just a figurative term, the town of Coolah holds claim to being the home of the black stump. The local Aboriginal Gamilaraay people are rumoured to have called the area ‘Weetalibah-Wallangan’, meaning, ‘the place where the fire went out and left a burnt stump’. In 1826 Governor Darling formalised the land boundaries that passed through the centre of a property known as ‘Black Stump Run’. Today, a rest area and replica stump mark the historic location.
While claims over the black stump continue to be fiercely fought between country towns the Black Stump Inn, a 2 storey hotel built in 1928, has that country charm that pulls one in for a more peaceful cool ale. But with the temperature in the single digits, instead we make our way to the Coolah Bakery to warm up on freshly made pies and sausage rolls. 50 metres further on we leave town with the book end Coolah Valley Hotel similarly trying to beckon us in for a beer.
40km out of Coolah, the road leaves the flat plains. Here it becomes a dirt track winding its way up the plateau, green grasslands either side providing nourishment to both the cattle and thousands of wild goats that roam the hills.
As we climb higher and the temperature drops further, we get to a small marker that signifies Pandoras Pass. In 1823 the botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham found this important crossing through the mountain range opening up a northern path to the Liverpool Plains. This early traveller not only helped the Liverpool Plains become one of our most valuable farmlands, but he opened up access to Coolah Tops for travellers that followed such as us.
