Beyond the Black Stump

Linda was brought up in Australia where the expressions, "Beyond the black stump" or "The other side of the black stump" were common. Wikipedia states that, "The Australian expression 'black stump' is the name for an imaginary point beyond which the country is considered remote or uncivilised, an abstract marker of the limits of established settlement." One school of thought regarding the origin of 'black stump' is that blackened tree-stumps were used as markers when giving directions to travellers unfamiliar with the terrain.

Whatever the origin, "Beyond the Black" Stump, when suggested by Linda's husband as the title of this book, seemed the perfect description for this collection of diverse stories.