Meanings
- AustraliaidiomaticinformalIn an extremely isolated place, remote from populated areas; in the middle of nowhere. Typically used to refer to outback areas.
While Millard did not shift from log cabin to White House, he did transport himself from beyond the Black Stump to strike it rich at Stawell.
2002, John Perry, Quick and the Dead: Stawell and Its Race Through Time, page 1182 more examples
“Just don't go gettin' serious,” Frank warned. “We don't want any trouble. We're gonna be beyond the black stump out there, not at the bloody Lennox Hotel.”
2004, Leon F. Williams, Rubies of Mogok, Trafford, page 104Kimberly, his eldest daughter who we love dearly, is very pregnant with our great grand daughter, the father of whom I have never met and who has shot through to the outback far beyond the black stump.
2004, John Leonard Spencer, Waving Goodbye to a Thousand Flies, page 241Synonyms: remote place, back o' Bourke, back of beyond, Woop Woop
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseIn an extremely isolated place, remote from populated areas; in the middle of nowhere. Typically used to refer to outback areas.
Origin
Origin and development contested; possibly from the use of fire-blackened tree-stumps when providing directions to people, or from a particular black stump: see Wikipedia. Attested since the 20th century, and possibly developed in the 19th century.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish Jumalan selän takana
- Jumalan selän takanain a very remote place
Swedish bortom all ära och redlighet
- bortom all ära och redlighetin a very remote place
Cite this entry
beyond the black stump. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beyond%20the%20black%20stump
“beyond the black stump.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beyond%20the%20black%20stump. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beyond the black stump,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beyond%20the%20black%20stump.
Source: beyond the black stump on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.