My third silo activation for Monday 12th July 2021 was Murray Bridge VK/ MRE5. Murray Bridge is located about 75 km south-east of Adelaide.
In March 2020, Viterra announced that it was to close 12 grain delivery sites across South Australia, including Murray Bridge. Viterra reported that based on a five year average, the 12 closed sites took 3% of South Australia’s grain harvest.
In early 2021, Sun-Pork Farms and Big River Feed Mill approached the Murray Bridge Council about using the silos.
The silos can be located on Hume Reserve Road, on the northern side of the town of Murray Bridge. Hume Reserve was named after the Hume brothers, who had a factory on the site. They were world leaders in cement pipe construction in the 1920s.
Opposite the silos I found a number of old machinery and derelict railway carriages.
I parked alongside of the silo and called CQ on 7.150. This was answered by Marija VK5MAZ, followed by Peter VK3PF, and then Brett VK2VW. I had qualified the silo.
I logged 8 stations on 40m. This included Roly ZL1BQD in New Zealand.
I then moved to the 80m band where I logegd just the 2 stations: Stuart VK3UAO/p in the You Yangs Regional Park VKFF-0982, and then Marija VK5MAZ.
To conclude the activation I moved back to 40m where I logged Stuart VK3UAO/p on a different band.
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK5MAZ
- VK3PF
- VK2VW
- VK3SQ
- VK3OHM
- VK3AWA
- VK2MOP
- ZL1BQD
- VK3UAO/p (You Yangs Regional Park VKFF-0982)
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-
- VK3UAO/p (You Yangs Regional Park VKFF-0982)
- VK5MAZ
References.
- Murray Bridge News, 2021, <https://www.murraybridge.news/p/murray-bridge-council-watch-february>, viewed 13th July 2021.
- Stock Journal, 2021, <https://www.stockjournal.com.au/story/6660507/viterra-cuts-12-silos-from-network/>, viewed 13th July 2021.
- Visit Murray Bridge, 2021, <https://visitmurraybridge.com.au/murray-bridge-history/murray-bridge-railway-and-riverboat-heritage/>, viewed 13th July 2021.
VK5PAS 