Daily Archives: February 21, 2023

Clinton Conservation Park VKFF-0813

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On our way to Troubridge Island, Marija and I stayed for 2 nights at Stansbury and activated a number of parks and silos. The first (Sunday 5th February 2023) was the Clinton Conservation Park VKFF-0813.

The park is located at the top of Gulf St Vincent, about 116 km north of the city of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Clinton Conservation Park. Map c/o Google maps.

The Clinton Conservation Park run s around the top of Gulf St Vincent from south of Port Wakefield to Port Clinton. The total area of the park is about 2,072 hectares.

Above:- An aerial view of the park looking north. Image c/o Google maps.

On the 10th day of September 1970, Section 568 was proclaimed as the Clinton National Park. It was proclaimed on the 27th day of April 1972 as the Clinton Conservation Park on 27 April 1972. Further sections were added on the 14th day of October 1976., the 28th day of July 1983, the 9th day of March 1989, and the 23rd day of Juner 2016.

Above:- The SA Govt Gazette, Sept 10 1970.

The park takes its name from the Hundred of Clinton which was proclaimed on the 12th day of June 1862. It was named Clinton by Governor Dominick Daly in honour of the Duke of Newcastle, Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham-Clinton who was Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1859 until his death in October 1864.

Above:- Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle. Image c/o Wikipedia

The first known European settler in the area was John Bowman who, in May 1853, took up lease no. 270. The town of Clinton was surveyed in 1862 and was offered for auction on the 14th day of August 1862. The Clinton School opened in 1881 and closed in 1889. The Clinton Centre School operated from 1886 until 1950, while the Clinton North School opened in 1886. The Port Clinton School opened in 1892 and closed in 1947.

Port Clinton is a small town which we had a quick look at. All of the stobie poles in the town are painted with artwork. What is a stobie pole? It is a power line pole made of two steel joists held apart by a slab of concrete. The stobie pole was invented by James Cyril Stobie (B. 1895. d. 1953) who was an engineer with the Adelaide Electric Supply Company.

Above:- James Cyril Stobie. Image c/o South Australia, Australia’s best secret Facebook page.

Vegetation in the Clinton Conservation Park includes Mangrove woodland, Low (Samphire) shrubland, Open scrub, Low woodland, and Low scrubland.

Birds SA have recorded 92 bird species in the park including Grey Teal, White-faced Heron, Far Eastern Curlew, Common Greenshank, Crested Pidgeon, Singing Honeyeater, and White-browned Scrubwren.

We set up at the end of a dirt track off the eastern side of the Yorke Highway near Dhanu’s relaxation park. This took us right down to the water’s edge.

Marija and I ran out the 20/40/80m linked dipole and used the Yaesu FT-857. For 10m and 15m we used the Icom IC-7000 and the Codan 9350 self-tuning antenna on the back of the 4WD.

Above:- Map showing the park and our operating spot. Map c/o Location SA Map Viewer.

With 101 contacts in the log it was time for us to pack up and head off to our next activation.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5GY
  2. VK5FANA
  3. VK5IS
  4. VK3VIN
  5. VK5HAA
  6. VK5LA
  7. VK3SQ
  8. VK3PF
  9. VK5BJF
  10. VK2EXA
  11. VK2IO/p (Dural Nature Reserve VKFF-1926)

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK2IO/p (Dural Nature Reserve VKFF-1926)
  2. VK4FW
  3. VK8MM

Marija worked the following station on 15m SSB:-

  1. KA5PNX

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5GY
  2. VK5FANA
  3. VK5IS
  4. VK3VIN
  5. VK5HAA
  6. VK5LA
  7. VK3SQ
    Vk3PF
  8. VK5BJF
  9. Vk2EXA
  10. VK4TJ
  11. Vk2YK
  12. VK5GA
  13. VK5WU
  14. VK2IO/p (Dural Nature Reserve VKFF-1926)
  15. VK7ALH
  16. VK2LEE

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK2LEE
  2. VK1KAZ
  3. Vk7XX
  4. ZL4NVW
  5. VK2IO/p (Dural Nature Reserve VKFF-1926)
  6. VK4SYD
  7. VK2VAR
  8. VK7EE
  9. VK2DA
  10. VK3AMO
  11. VK4SMA
  12. VK4HAT
  13. ZL3MR
  14. VK1AD’VK3TR
  15. VK2EXA
  16. VK3GJG
  17. VK4FW
  18. VK8MM

I worked the following stations on 15m SSB:-

  1. VK4HAT
  2. VK4SMA
  3. VK3TR
  4. VK2FADV
  5. VK3GJG
  6. VK3SQ
  7. Vk2EXA
  8. VK7EE
  9. KA5PNX
  10. ZL2GLG
  11. VK2LEE
  12. VK2EG/p
  13. VK2XXL
  14. VK1CHW
  15. W5IB
  16. ZL4GR
  17. VK2NP
  18. VK4EW
  19. VK5HS
  20. VK7XX
  21. VK4SYD
  22. VK3UAO
  23. JF7RJM
  24. VK2TER
  25. VK5NM
  26. VK3MLT
  27. VK2IO/p (Dural Nature Reserve VKFF-1926)
  28. VK4FW
  29. VK8MM
  30. VK3ZSC
  31. VK7ID

I worked the following stations on 10m SSB:-

  1. VK2XXL
  2. VK7IAN
  3. VK2FADV
  4. VK7ID
  5. Vk2NP
  6. VK2IO/p (Dural Nature Reserve VKFF-1926)
  7. VK7EE
  8. VK2EG/p
  9. N7WS
  10. VK4FW
  11. VK8MM
  12. VK2ZG
  13. VK7XX
  14. VK2WJ
  15. VK3NRB
  16. VK2WE
  17. VK2LEE
  18. VK3KV
  19. VK3YUN
  20. Vk2PX
  21. VK3AWA

References.

  1. A Compendium of the Place Names of South Australia, 2023, <https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/>, viewed 21st February 2023.
  2. Birds SA, 2023, <https://birdssa.asn.au/location/clinton-conservation-park/>, viewed 21st February 2023.
  3. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stobie_pole>, viewed 21st February 2023.