black stump

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

black stump noun

1. the black stump ⇒ an imaginary marker of the extent of civilization (esp in the phrase beyond the black stump)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

Black′ Stump′, [Australian.]

1. British Terms an imaginary spot marking the supposed limits of civilization:
   beyond the Black Stump.

• 1925–30