Our next park activation for 7th March 2023 was the Illabrook Rail Line Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2110. The park is about 144 km west of Melbourne and about 44 km south of Ballarat.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Illabrook Rail Line NCR. Map c/o Google Maps.

Illabarook was formerly a gold mining town, located in the arc of gold-bearing country from Scarsdale to Rokewood In 1855 gold was discovered at Illabrook on the Bulldog diggings.

Above:- part of an article from The Age, Melbourne, Sat 2 Oct 1858. Image c/o Trove.

The area was known as Bulldog until 1874. The town is located on the Illabrook Creek. It is believed that Illabrook is derived from an aboriginal word meaning a fly. In 1861 a school was opened and this was followed by the Post Office in 1862.

The Pitfield gold diggings then became associated with Bulldog as mining activity joined them as one area. During the 1860s mining activity declined. By the mid 1890s mining had recommenced. A new village of Illabrook evolved. The town was described in the Australian Handbook of 1903 as follows:

Between 1911-53 a railway from Newtown to Cressy passed through Illabarook. This is now the Illabrook Rail Line Nature Conservation Reserve, which can be found on the western side of Moonlight Road.

Above:- An aerial view of the park. Image c/o Google Earth.

The railway line at Illabrook was part of the Colac-Ballarat railway line that branches from the Warnambool line, just east of Colac. It ran in a northerly direction to join the Ballarat0Skipton line at Newtown, and from there ran to Ballarat station. The line was 112 km in length. Construction of the line commenced in the 1880s. The purpose of the line was to convey goods from Victoria’s Western District to the industrial centre of Ballarat. The line was constructed in sections.

Above:- Part of an article from The Colac Herald, Fri 22 Sep 1882. Image c/o Trove.

Today the track has been completely removed, with the majority of the land returned to adjoining farmers. However, the last section of the Skipton to Ballarat line has been converted to the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Line, while the site of Illabrook station is now the Illabrook Rail Line NCR. 

The park is 22 hectares in size and was established on the 22nd day of March 2005.  The park features remnants of the endangered Lower Slops Grassy Woodland ecological vegetation community. It contains one of the best populations of Silver Banksias and Drooping Sheokes in the area.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3GRK/p (Alpine National Park VKFF-0619)
2. VK5HAA
3. VK3PF
4. VK3APJ
5. VK5HS
6. VK3GJG
7. VK3SQ
8. VK7MOO
9. VK4FW
10. VK8MM
11. Vk2EXA

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3GRK/p (Alpine National Park VKFF-0619)
2. VK5HAA
3. VK3PF
4. VK3APJ
5. VK5HS
6. VK3GJG
7. VK3SQ
8. VK2EXA
9. VK4FW
10. VK8MM
11. VK1AD
12. VK1RF
13. VK5TN
14. Vk7MOO
15. VK5BJE
16. VK3ZSC
17. VK5SFA
18. VK3UCS
19. Vk5BAD
20. VK3EMB/p
21. VK5NBL
22. VK5CZ
23. VK7JFD
24. VK2IO
25. VK3SGA
26. VK7AN
27. VK3NBL
28. VK3KST
29. VK7EE
30. VK3UH
31. VK3PWG

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK4FW
2. VK8MM
3. VK7AN
4. KG5CIK
5. VK4EMP
6. VK4TI
7. VK2DA
8. VK1DA
9. VK7EE
10. VK4TJ
11. VK7AAE
12. ZL1KB

I worked the following stations on 20m AM:-

1. VK4FW
2. VK8MM

References.

1. The Field Naturalists Ballarat, 2023, <https://fieldnatballarat.wordpress.com/2018/11/07/a-day-out-at-illabarook/>, viewed 4th May 2023.
2. Victorian Places, 2023, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/illabarook>, viewed 4th May 2023.
3. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colac%E2%80%93Ballarat_railway_line#cite_note-2>, viewed 4th May 2023.