We packed up at Custon and headed to our third and final park for Saturday 27th November 2021 and Day One of the 2021 VKFF Activation Weekend. Our last park was Wolseley Common Conservation Park VKFF-1125, which is located about 285 km southeast of Adelaide, and about 14 km east of Bordertown.

The Wolseley Common Conservation Park is located on the south-western side of the town of Wolseley.

The park takes its name from the town of Wolseley. In August 1882, a general store was opened on a leased portion of land opposite to what was to become the Wolseley Railway Station. By 1883, the Messrs. Grice and Paterson subdivided a section north of the railway yard into allotments.

In 1884 the area was advertised as follows:-

“in the centre of the great wheat-producing districts of Wimmera and Tatiara being larger than the whole of the Northern areas and infinitely more fertile. Nearly all the wheat and wool must come to Wolseley”.

Above:- Images c/o State Library SA.

In 1884, the Government town of Tatiara was surveyed into 168 allotments, south of the Wolseley railway station. It was proclaimed on the 8th day of May 1884. A school was opened in the same year. On 20th February 1941 the name was changed to Wolseley to conform with the name of the railway station

The town was named after Sir. Garnet Joseph Wolseley (1833-1913), also known as Baron Wolseley, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.

The Wolseley Conservation Park is about 24 hectares (59 acres) in size and was established on the 29th day of November 2001. It was established to protect the nationally threatened Buloke Woodland which is one the last remaining in South Australia.

At least 30 species of bird have been recorded in the park including Yellow Thornbill, White-winged Chough, Red-capped Robin, and Collared Sparrowhawk. The park has 68 native plant species of which 11 are listed as threatened.

The land which is now the Conservation Park was part of the parklands around the town of Wolseley but had a reputation for depasturing animals, the gathering of firewood and the dumping of rubbish. During the Second World War, part of the land on the western side was cleared to create a sports oval.

By the 1960s the land was reported to be bare ground with only a few scattered Buloke trees. The decline of Wolseley as a railway town reduced further impact on the land which is now the park.

Marija and I drove into the park and found a nice shady spot under some trees. It was a warm day with the temperature in the high twenties.

We operated from Wolseley Common for about 2 hours and made a total of 92 QSOs, including 32 Park to Park contacts.

QSOs were made around Australia and into Japan and New Zealand.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3YV/p (Sweetwater Creek Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2200)
2. VK5KLV/p (Whyalla Conservation Park VKFF-0808)
3. VK3LF/p (The Lakes National Park VKFF-0484)
4. VK4MGL/p (Ravensbourne National Park VKFF-0427)
5. VK2IO/p (Rouse Hill Regional Park VKFF-2784)
6. VK5FANA
7. VK7DW
8. VK3UH
9. VK2BYF
10. VK1CT/p (McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0849)
11. VK2VW
12. VK2HFI
13. Vk2YW
14. VK2NP
15. Vk7JFD
16. Vk2PKT
17. VK3NFS
18. VK3ACZ
19. VK3MKE
20. VK2KA
21. VK4SMA
22. VK5CZ/p (Carribie Conservation Park VKFF-0876)
23. VK3MFU
24. VK3KXR/p (Swan Bay-Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2444)
25. VK2EMA
26. VK3TKK/p (Holden Flora Reserve VKFF-2333)
27. VK4PRO
28. VK3FRC
29. VK3ZPF
30. VK3PF/p (SOTA VK3/ VC-037 & Bunyip State Park VKFF-0753)
31. VK4HMI
32. VK3KXR/p (Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park VKFF-0954)
33. VK3ZK/p (Echuca Regional Park VKFF-0966)
34. VK3ANL

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. ZL4NVW
2. JF7RJM
3. VK6JK
4. ZL1TM
5. VK6JKP
6. VK6ADF/p (Dookanooka Nature Reserve VKFF-2962)

Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK5PE
2. VK5HS
3. VK3PF/p (SOTA VK3/ VC-037 & Bunyip State Park VKFF-0753)
4. VK5FANA
5. VK5LA
6. VK5CZ/p (Carribie Conservation Park VKFF-0876)
7. VK3KXR/p (Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park VKFF-0954)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3YV/p (Sweetwater Creek Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2200)
2. VK2LBL
3. Vk2BYF
4. VK5KLV/p (Whyalla Conservation Park VKFF-0808)
5. VK3LF/p (The Lakes National Park VKFF-0484)
6. VK4MGL/p (Ravensbourne National Park VKFF-0427)
7. VK2IO/p (Rouse Hill Regional Park VKFF-2784)
8. VK3UH
9. VK2PKT
10. VK2NP
11. VK1CT/p (McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0849)
12. VK5CZ/p (Carribie Conservation Park VKFF-0876)
13. VK3KXR/p (Swan Bay-Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2444)
14. VK3TKK/p (Holden Flora Reserve VKFF-2333)
15. VK3FRC
16. VK7JFD
17. VK2KA
18. VK4BXX
19. VK3MPR
20. VK4PRO
21. VK3AMO
22. VK3ZPF
23. VK3PF/p (SOTA VK3/ VC-037 & Bunyip State Park VKFF-0753)
24. Vk4HMI
25. VK3KXR/p (Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park VKFF-0954)
26. VK3ZK/p (Echuca Regional Park VKFF-0966)
27. VK3ANL

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. ZL4NVW
2. JF7RJM
3. VK6JK
4. ZL1TM
5. VK6JKP
6. VK6ADF/p (Dookanooka Nature Reserve VKFF-2962)

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

1. VK5HS
2. VK5PE
3. VK3PF/p (SOTA VK3/ VC-037 & Bunyip State Park VKFF-0753)
4. VK5FANA
5. VK5LA
6. VK5CZ/p (Carribie Conservation Park VKFF-0876)
7. VK5IS
8. VK3ADX
9. VK3KXR/p (Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park VKFF-0954)
10. VK5WU
11. VK3GTV
12. VK3UFO

After packing up we stopped to have a look at the old World War Two Wolseley fuel tanks. The site was constructed during the early phase of WW2 with two 120,000 gallon tanks, one 40,000 gallon tank and a barracks. The fuel tanks and barracks were camouflaged to look like farm buildings. Three additional tanks were subsequently added, with the site being disbanded on the 14th day of June 1944.

There are no known surviving photographs taken during the war years of the site. Below is an artists impression of how the area may have looked.

We also had a look through the town of Wolseley which has a number of interesting information boards all about the history of the buildings in the town.

There is a Wolseley Historical Walk brochure which can be obtained from the Bordertown Visitor Information Centre. I have attached a copy below.

We then decided it was time for a bite to eat, so we called into the Wolseley Hotel. And I am glad we did. It was one of the best pub schnitzels I have had in a long time.

We then drove out to Mundulla and the Mundulla Common hoping to see or hear an endangered Bush Stone Curlew. They are apparently more active on moonlit nights and are more often heard then seen. Sadly we did not see any, but certainly did see and hear plenty of noisy Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.

We then headed back to our motel room. It had been an absolutely brilliant day. Plenty of radio, some sightseeing, and a nice meal.

References.

1. A Compendium of the Place Names of South Australia, 2021, <https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/>, viewed 4th December 2021.
2. Wikipedia, 2021, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolseley_Common_Conservation_Park>, viewed 4th December 2021.