Words & TermsPlaces and regional language
black stump
An imaginary boundary of settled/civilised country, especially in beyond the black stump.
In a sentence
The town claimed its own black stump at the edge of settlement.
Where it came from
ABC describes it as an iconic Australian expression; historical discussion confirms the remote-place idiom.
- Initial era
- 1950–1999
- Where used
- Australian use; no narrower regional pattern established