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It’s wild to look back on the era before the internet or mobile phones, when connecting with friends meant flipping through the pages of a physical address book. Yep, sending snail mail to someone on the other side of the country relied entirely on the details scribbled in your nifty little booklet. While smartphones have taken over the world, physical address books are still a thing in some places – and no, we aren’t just talking about nursing homes.
On the outskirts of Stonehenge – a quirky, tiny Outback Queensland town of just 60 residents – you’ll find a massive, open-air ‘address book’ made of names and town titles spelled out in pebbles. Stones are really the only thing this rural town has in common with the UK’s legendary Stonehenge – but honestly, we like that this outback landmark is much more of a hidden gem.
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The Stonehenge Address Book began in the early 1980s when local post officer Mr Johnny Weston’s truck broke down on a mail run from Jundah to Longreach. While waiting to be rescued, he arranged the surrounding gidyea stones to spell out the word ‘Jundah.’ That act sparked a fierce but friendly rivalry, with neighbouring towns quickly arriving to map out their own names bigger and brighter.
Over the decades, travellers from around the world have added to the tradition by spelling out their names and hometowns in rocks along the roadside. In fact, it's actively encouraged. What a way to leave your mark, right?