After leaving Redhill I continued north to the town of Crystal Brook to activate the Crystal Crook silo VK-CRK5. Crystal Brook is located about 201 km north of the city of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of Crystal Brook, South Australia. Map c/o Google Maps.

Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Crystal Brook area was home to the Nukunu Aboriginal people. (Aussie Towns 2024)

In 1839 explorer Edward John Eyre (b. 1815. d. 1901), passed through the district in May 1839 during his expedition to explore the interior of South Australia. The colony of South Australia was only three years old at this time. Eyre’s party consisted of five men, two teams of horses and provisions for three months. Eyre discovered and named the Rocky River, known by the aboriginals as Wongabirie. He then discovered a clear running stream and named it Chrystal Brook (note the spelling). Crystal Brook was known by the aboriginal people as Mercowie meaning ‘clear water’. (Aussie Towns 2024) (Cockburn 1999) (Monument Australia 2024) (SA History articles 2024)

Above:- Edward John Eyre. Image c/o Wikipedia.

There is a monument at Crystal Brook in Heysen Park on Eyre Road to honour Edward Eyre.

The monument was erected in September 1951 during Crystal Brook’s Jubilee celebrations.

Above:- Article from The Advertiser, Adelaide, Tue 25 Sep 1951. Image c/o Trove

The spelling of Crystal Brook was subsequently corrected following the establishment of a pastoral run ‘Crystal Broom Run’ owned by William Younghusband and Peter Ferguson. The run covered an area of 145,000 hectares and extended to Port Pirie, then known as Samuels Creek. (Aussie Towns 2024) (SA History articles 2024)

Above:- Younghusband and Ferguson. Images c/o State Library South Australia.

In about 1856 Younghusband and Ferguson sold Crystal Brook Run to John, William and Thomas Bowman. The main street of Crystal Brook is named in their honour. Bowman Park which contains some of the original buildings is located just to the northeast of Crystal Brook. (SA History articles 2024)

Above:- John, William, and Thomas Bowman. Images c/o State Library South Australia.

The first known store in the Crystal Brook district was established by P.M. Kelville in the 1870s on the Rocky River. A grog shop also existed with the owner creating stories that a mythical bunyip lived in the nearby Wirrawirra waterhole. The bunyip is a creature from the aboriginal mythology reputed to live in swamps, billabongs, creeks and waterholes. Local settlers at Crystal Brook were so convinced of its existence that parties were often formed to shoot the bunyip. (SA History articles 2024)

Above:- Illustration of a Bunyip by J. Macfarlane (1890). Image c/o Wikipedia

The settlement of Narridy was the first in the district. Narridy is located just a few kilometres west of current-day Crystal Brook. The Hundred of Crystal Brook was established on the 3rd day of March 1873. The area which was still held by the Bowmans was opened up for selection as farming blocks under the Strangways Land Act with a price of £2 per acre.

The Strangways Land Act was passed in January 1869. It enabled the purchase of land for farmers, allowing for closer settlement in areas of South Australia suited to more intensive agriculture, rather than vast pastoral runs. It was named in honour of Henry Strangways, the Premier and Attorney General of South Australia when the legislation was passed. (Mr Strangways 1917)

Above:- Henry Strangways. Image c/o Wikipedia.

On the 11th day of November 1882, the District Council of Crystal Brook was proclaimed. (SA History articles 2024)

Above:- Crystal Brook, c. 1910. Image c/o State Library South Australia.

According to the 2021 Census, Crystal Brook has a population of 1,322 people.

The Crystal Brook silos are located alongside the railway line in Railway Terrace in the heart of Crystal Brook.

I parked directly opposite the silos and operated from the 4WD for this activation, running the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5-metre stainless steel whip.

As I pulled up, a council vehicle pulled up behind me with its orange lights flashing. I was a little concerned I may have done something wrong. But it was a council worker who wanted to ask me about the roof racks and awning on my Toyota Hi-Lux as he was looking to purchase something similar.

Above:- The activation zone at the Crystal Brook silos. Image c/o SiOTA website.

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2IO/p (Macanally State Conservation Area VKFF-1344)
2. VK1AO
3. VK2MET

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5TUX
2. VK5IS
3. VK3APJ
4. VK5AAY

References.

1. Aussie Towns. (n.d.). Crystal Brook, SA. [online] Available at: https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/crystal-brook-sa [Accessed 15 May 2024].
2. ‌monumentaustralia.org.au. (n.d.). Edward John Eyre | Monument Australia. [online] Available at: https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/exploration/display/104655-edward-john-eyre [Accessed 15 May 2024].
3. ‌MR. STRANGWAYS. (1917). Express and Telegraph. [online] 6 Dec. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/209776817 [Accessed 17 May 2024].‌
4. sites.google.com. (n.d.). SA history articles – Our Special Representative. [online] Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/sahistoryarticles/sa-history-articles/our-special-representative?authuser=0 [Accessed 15 May 2024].‌

I recently acquired several microphones through an online auction run by Evans and Clarke. The microphones came from a collection held by the South Australian Police Historical Society.

They include:-

• 1950s-60s Pye tulip model microphone
• Codan desk microphone
• Toa paging microphone
• Phillips desk microphone

A few days ago I found the results of the 2024 CQ World Wide WPX Contest.

I came 1st in Australia, 5th in Oceania, and 82nd in the world.

Thank you to everyone who called me and thank you to the Contest organisers.

Here are my latest FT8 award certificates.

Thank you to all of the FT8 operators and thank you to the various Award Managers.

Here is a selection of QSL cards that have arrived in the mail in the past couple of weeks for VK5MAZ and VK5PAS.

My next activation for Wednesday 10th April 2024 was the Redhill silo VK-RDL5 for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program. Redhill is about 178 km north of the city of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of Redhill, South Australia. Map c/o Google Maps.

Redhill was established in the late 1800s and was originally known as Redbanks but was changed due to the clash with Redbanks on the River Light. It was then known as Broughton. The town had a hotel, blacksmith, general store and other businesses. The town was officially renamed Red Hill in 1940, but it was known as Red Hills many years prior to this. (Cockburn 1984) (New Town Names 1940)

Above:- Article from The Advertiser, Fri 26 Jul 1940. Image c/o Trove.

Redhill came into existence following the opening of the northern areas of South Australia to farmers. It was initially little more than a ‘roadside stopping place.’ In 1875 Redhill was described as having only 20 houses, two machinist shops, a roomy hotel and a flour mill. By this time Redhill was the centre of traffic between Clare and Port Pirie. Travellers from Adelaide journeyed by rail to Saddleworth and then by coach to Clare, Koolunga, Redhill, Merriton and Port Pirie. (Redhill Railway Town 1925)

Early residents of Redhill included W.B. Wilkinson, G.F. Claridge, C.G. Adley, L.R. Wake, and G.F. Pearce.(Redhill Railway Town 1925)

George Frederick Claridge was born in 1852 in Oxfordshire, England. He emigrated as a child to Australia in 1854 and initially worked in a drapery shop and then his father’s general store at Auburn which prospered with branches opening at Redhill and Crystal Brook. He founded a branch of the District Trained Nursing Society and became involved in politics. He became Mayor of Port Pirie 1898-1899. He was a member of the Destitute Board and an active member of the Home for Incurables. He was a member of the Adelaide and Midland Licensing Benches and the Special Licensing Bench, the Adelaide Hospital advisory board; and the State Children’s Council. He died in 1931. (Death of Mr GF Claridge 1931)

Above:- George Frederick Claridge. Image co State Library South Australia.

Sir George Foster Pearce (G.F. Pearce), was born in 1870 at Mount Barker. During his early childhood he the family lived in various rural locations in South Australia, including Redhill where he was educated. Pearce went on to serve as a Senator for Western Australia from 1901 to 1938. Although he commenced his political life with the Labor Party, he later joined the National Labor Party, the Nationalist Party and the United Australia Party. He served as a cabinet minister under Prime Ministers from all four parties. (Aust Dict of Biography 2024) (Redhill Railway Town 1925)

Pearce died in 1952 in Victoria, aged 82 years. Several places are named in his honour including RAAF Base Pearce, the electoral Division of Pearce in Western Australia, Pearce Peak in Antarctica, and the Canberra suburb of Pearce. Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Robert Menzies stated that he had “never sat with an abler man than George Pearce” in cabinet. (Biog Dict of Australian Senate 2024)

Above:- Sir George Foster Pearce. Image c/o Wikipedia.

William Birkinshaw Wilkinson, commonly referred to as W.B. Wilkinson, was born in 1854 in England, and emigrated to Australia in 1875. He was initially employed with the National Bank of Australasia, but soon after founded Davey and Wilkinson auctioneers of Redhill with John Francis Davey. Wilkinson then became Senior partner in a firm Wilkinson, Harrison & Porter. Wilkinson often travelled overseas and founded the Australasian Club in London. He subsequently commenced a real estate business Wilkinson, Sando & Wyles Ltd. Wilkinson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He was a councillor for Robe Ward in the Adelaide City Council, President of the General Employers Union, President and founder of the Licensed Land Brokers and Auctioneer’ Association, President and a founder of the North Adelaide branch of the Liberal Union, member of the Board of Governors of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery, chairman and trustee of the Kindergarten Union, member of the executive and past chairman of St. John Ambulance Association, founder, past President, and member of the executive of the Commonwealth Club of Adelaide, member of the executive and honorary treasurer of the Queen’s Home, founder and member of the executive of the Town Planning Association, President of the North Adelaide circle of the Australian Division (men’s section) of the British Red Cross Society and President of the Men’s Tobacco Auxiliary (South Australian division) of the Australian Comforts Fund. Wilkinson died at his home in North Adelaide in 1927. (Prominent Businessman 1927)

Above:- W.B. Wilkinson. Image c/o Wikipedia.

The main highway bypasses Redhill. The town is located adjacent to the Broughton River which flows about 110 km from south of Spalding to the Spencer Gulf.

The Broughton River was named by explored Edward John Eyre (b. 1815. d. 1901) in May 1839 in honour of the Right Rev. William Grant Broughton, the first and only Bishop of Australia of the Church of England. (Cockburn 1984)

Above:- William Grant Broughton. Image c/o Wikipedia.

On the edge of the highway is a sculpture of a pioneer farmer and his horse working the land. It is a tribute to those who settled in the Redhill district.

As you enter the town there is a monument dedicated to the pioneers of Redhill and commemorating the 150 year celebrations 1869-2019.

Redhill contains several historic buildings.

The corner store and post office can be located in Bowman Street.

The Redhill Institute Soldiers Memorial Hall can be found in Barr Street. The foundation stone was laid on the 24th day of September 1919.

Sadly the town’s hotel, the Eureka Hotel is now closed. The first hotel, a single-storey building g opened in 1874 but closed in 1899. The impressive two-storey Eureka Hotel opened in 1878.

Mr. W.J. Reynolds built the hotel. (Redhill Railway Town 1925)

Above:- the Eureka Hotel, Redhill. Image c/o State Library South Australia.

The former St. Andrews Church of England was built in 1881 and was designed by Red Hill Bank Manager William Kingsnorth Mallyon. He had no formal training in architecture, draughtsmanship or building. Mallyson went on to design several churches, predominantly for the Diocese of Willochra. (State Library 2024)

The former Methodist church is located in Ellis Street.

The old Redhill Council Chambers built in 1898 now serve as a museum. The school bell from the old Redhill Primary School can be found outside the museum.

The broad gauge railway from Adelaide reached Redhill in 1925. In 1969 the standard gauge line was built. Below are some photos of the old platform, the most recent railway station, and the old crane.

When the railway was opened in 1925, The Mail Adelaide newspaper reported:-

“Situated as it is in the centre of the richest wheat growing area in South Australia, Redhill despite the lack of railway facilities has always been a prosperous and thriving township. Today, with a population of 250, and 64 houses, it has three fine churches, two banks, a hotel, a school, an institute, and a post office…” (Redhill Railway Town 1925)

Below is the article in full. It makes for some very interesting reading.

A monument can be found in the town to commemorate the opening of the first bridge over the River Broughton at Redhill. It was built in October 1876 of wooden construction.

In 1909 the original bridge was washed away and replaced with the present steel structure. Only the stone abutments of the original bridge remain.

Above:- Article from The Express and Telegraph, Adelaide, Fri 30 Jul 1909. Image c/o Trove

The silos at Redhill are located on the southern side of the town, alongside the railway line.

I parked on Hydon Road and operated from the 4WD for this activation. I ran the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.

Above:- The activation zone at the Redhill silos. Image c/op SiOTA website.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5DGR/m
2. VK5IS
3. VK5LA
4. VK3ZSC
5. VK3YV/p (Mitchell River National Park VKFF-0321)
6. VK3NDG/p (Mitchell River National Park VKFF-0321)
7. VK5KFB
8. Vk3PF/p (HEMA VK/ HVK-042)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2USH/p (Mole Creek Karst National Park VKFF–0322 VKFF-0322)
2. VK1AO
3. VK2MET
4. VK3AHM/p
5. VK1AD
6. VK3SO
7. VK3SFG

References.

1. Anon, (n.d.). PEARCE, Sir George Foster (1870–1952) Senator for Western Australia, 1901–38 (Labor Party; National Labour Party; Nationalist Party; United Australia Party) | The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. [online] Available at: https://biography.senate.gov.au/pearce-george-foster/.‌ [Accessed 12 May 2024]‌
2. Beddie, B. (n.d.). Pearce, Sir George Foster (1870–1952). [online] Australian Dictionary of Biography. Available at: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pearce-sir-george-foster-7996. [Accessed 12 May 2024]‌
3. Cockburn, R. (1984). What’s in a Name?.‌
4. DEATH OF MR. G. F. CLARIDGE. (1931). Chronicle. [online] 30 Apr. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90622566 [Accessed 13 May 2024].‌
5. NEW TOWN NAMES APPROVED. (1940). Advertiser. [online] 26 Jul. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47205687 [Accessed 12 May 2024].‌
6. PROMINENT BUSINESS MAN. (1927). Register. [online] 15 Jan. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54877708 [Accessed 13 May 2024].‌
7. REDHILL—RAILWAY TOWN. (1925). Mail. [online] 5 Sep. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/59965691 [Accessed 13 May 2024].‌
8. State Library of South Australia. (n.d.). St Andrews Church of England. [online] Available at: https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+5669 [Accessed 12 May 2024].‌

Whilst I was away on the Eyre Peninsula, I became aware of the results of the 2023 Oceania DX Contest.

I came 1st in Australia and Oceania in the Single Operator Low Power All Band Phone category.

Below is my winning certificate.

And below is my participation certificate.

Thank you to everyone who called, and thank you to the organisers and sponsors of the Oceania DX Contest.

Back on the 19th of February 2024, I made contact on the 20m band with Dave VK5MRD who was aeronautical mobile in a Flying Doctor aircraft in the Northern Territory.

The aircraft was a Pilatus PC-24 VH-FMP, callsign FlyDoc501.

Here is a selection of QSL cards recently received via email.

Last night’s light show here at Ashbourne. Taken with the iPhone.