The Black-Allan Line
In the wilderness of the Australian Alps the border between NSW and Victoria isn't marked out by a fence, a road, or the Murray River. It’s simply bush. And, deep inside that bush, unless you know about the Black-Allan Line, and where to find its 150 year old border cairns, it's difficult to know what state you are in. This line, the straight section of the current border between NSW and Victoria, is named after the original surveyors Alexander Black and Alexander Allan, who in 1872, mapped their way to the coast.
The line runs from the source of the Murray River to Cape Howe, on the east coast of Australia. It is still considered to be a triumph of surveying. As the result of extended legal disputes, this border was not formally ratified until 2006.
If you can find Alexander Black's number one border cairn at the start of the line, you will see it has been lovingly restored.
Many thanks to Tara Oldfield from the Public Record Office Victoria for access to original maps, letters and notebooks from the 1870 surveying parties.