Our next activation for Monday 30th October 2023 was the Werrimul Bushland Reserve VKFF-4122 and the Werrimul silo VK-WRU3.

Above:- Map showing the location of Werrimul in northwest Victoria. Map c/o Google Maps.

Werrimull is a small town and locality in Millewa district of northwest Victoria. The town is located about 79km west of Mildura and 13 km south of the Sturt Highway opposite Lake Cullulleraine.

Above:- Map showing the locality and town of Werrimul. Image c/o Mapshare Victoria.

Werrimull is an indigenous Australian word believed to mean Eagle. Werrimull is sometimes misspelled Werrimul perhaps due to being confused with an indigenous group from the Wimmera region of Victoria.

The Millewa district was first opened up for farming during the 1920s. The railway reached Werrimul in 1923 after a branch line was opened from the Mildura line. The Werrimul Post Office was opened on the 24th day of June 1924.  The majority of the settlement in the area was Soldier Settlement with blocks of about one square mile being allocated.

Above:- loading wheat bags at Werrimul, c. 1935. Image c/o Museums Victoria.

At its peak the township of Werrimul had a Bush Nursing Hospital, resident Doctor, Government Offices, S.R & W.S.C. and Lands Department Offices, Police Station, Public Hall, Baby Health Centre, Catholic, Methodist and Anglican churches, C.B.A. Bank and by the late 1930s a Hotel. In 1933 the population of Werrimul was 590 people.

Above:- the opening of a church at Werrimul, c. 1935. Image c/o Museums Victoria.

The Werrimul Bush Nursing Hospital was opened in July 1927. The first Doctor was Dr. Davis, followed by Dr. Buxton. In 1945 it became a Bush Nursing Centre with a nurse in charge, but closed in 1947. Hundreds of babies were born at the Bush Nursing Hospital. The Werrimul Police Station now stands on the former site of the hospital.

Above:- Article from the Murray Pioneer, Fri 21 Oct 1927. Image c/o Trove.

Today the main industry in the Werrimul district is grain harvesting including wheat, barley, and oats. The sheep and cattle industry also thrive in the area.

Werrimul still has a Public Hall, Hotel, two Churches, a police station, a swimming pool, a Parks Victoria office, and the P12 School, which is now a P12 School, with many new buildings and a swimming pool.

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church can be found on the Werrimull South Road. The church was opened in 1934 and is constructed of local limestone to a design replicating the Romanesque Churches in Italy. It is registered as a Heritage building by the National Trust.

At the eastern entrance of Werrimil on Millewa Road, you can find the Pioneer Plantation. It contains individual trees marked with the names of the early settlers and their descendants.

Werrimul once had a recreation oval where Agricultural Shows and sports events were held. This has been transformed by local school students into Mandala: Trail of Discovery. It records the achievements of the past and natural features of the Werrmul district through artwork and poetry.

In Werrimul you can find a Bills horse trough. George Bills was born in 1859 in Brighton, England. He migrated with his family to New Zealand and then Australia in 1873. In 1882 George had opened up a bird dealers shop in Brisbane. It was here that George met and subsequently married Annis Seann. They moved to Sydney where George worked with his brothers in an innerspring mattress manufacturing company.

His wife Annis died in 1910, just 2 years after he had retired. In 1924 George became a Life Governor of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

Above:- George Bills. Image c/o https://pateblog.nma.gov.au/

George and Annis did not have any children and following the death of George in 1927, a Trust Fund of about £70-80,000 was established. One purpose of the trust, as set out in the will of George Bills, was to:

“…construct and erect and pay for horse troughs wherever they may be of the opinion that such horse troughs are desirable for the relief of horses and other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any other part of the world subject to the consent of the proper authorities being obtained.”

Initially the troughs were individually designed and constructed. Each trough cost £13 plus transport and installation. By the early 1930’s a relative of the Bills family, J.B. Phillips became the head contractor for the construction of the troughs. Each trough contained an inscription:

“Donated by Annis & George Bills Australia”.

About 700 horse troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia and about 50 in several other countries.

Also in Werrimul, you can find the Werrimul Mobile SIlos which have silo art. They are the work of Jimmy Dvate and Justin Fennelseed, who painted the silos in August 2023. The theme is local flora and fauna.

The Werrimul Bushland Reserve is about 79 hectares and was established on the 8th day of May 1990. The park is in three separate sections on the northern and southern side of Millewa Road.

The concrete wheat silo at Werrimul was constructed in about 1940.

We set up in the northern section of the Werrimul Bushland Reserve and ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

Above:- An aerial shot of the Werrimul Bushland Reserve showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Maps.

We were well within the activation zone of the Werrimul silo.

Above:- the activation zone at the Werrimul silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK2VH
2. VK4AAC
3. VK5HS
4. VK3BBB
5. VK2CCP
6. VK3TKK/m
7. VK5KVA
8. VK3APJ
9. VK5KLV
10. VK1AO/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
11. VK2MET/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
12. VK3PF/p (Boonoornar Bushland Reserve VKFF-4146)
13. VK2IO/p (Cooltong Conservation Park VKFF-0823)

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2BYF/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
2. VK2VT/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
3. VK2GOM/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
4. VK2VAR/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
5. VK1AO/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
6. VK2MET/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
7. VK2IO/p (Cooltong Conservation Park VKFF-0823)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5HS
2. VK2VH
3. VK4AAC
4. VK3BBB
5. VK2CCP
6. VK3TKK/m
7. VK5KVA
8. VK3APJ
9. VK5KLV
10. VK1AO/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
11. VK2MET/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
12. VK5IS
13. VK3PF/p (Boonoornar Bushland Reserve VKFF-4146)
14. VK2EXA
15. VK2GQR
16. VK3SQ
17. VK2BD
18. VK2IO/p (Cooltong Conservation Park VKFF-0823)
19. VK3CTF
20. VK3MTT
21. VK3CWF
22. VK3ZSC
23. VK5CZ
24. VK3CEO
25. VK3KRL
26. VK3PF/m
27. VK3FABS
28. VK3KAI/m
29. VK5FANA
30. VK3VMM
31. VK3CJN
32. VK3MCA
33. VK3UH

I worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

1. VK5HS
2. VK3VMM

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK2BYF/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
2. VK2VT/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
3. VK2GOM/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
4. VK2VAR/p (Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1156)
5. VK2TER
6. VK2BM
7. VK1AO/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
8. VK2MET/p (Mount Ainslee Nature Reserve VKFF-0850)
9. VK4MUD
10. VK4JG
11. VK2IO/p (Cooltong Conservation Park VKFF-0823)

References.

1. Australian Silo Art, 2023, <https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/werrimull>, viewed 17th December 2023.
2. Discover Murray, 2023, <http://www.murrayriver.com.au/werrimull/>, viewed 17th December 2023.
3. Monument Australia, 2023, <https://monumentaustralia.org.au/australian_monument/display/114133>, viewed 17th December 2023.
4. Victorian Places, 2023, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/werrimull>, viewed 17th December 2023.
5. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werrimull>, viewed 17th December 2023.
6. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bills_horse_troughs>, viewed 17th December 2023.

After packing up at Yarrara (30th October 2023), we made the decision to head back down the road the short distance to activate the Merringur silo.

The Morkala-Red Cliffs Railway Bushland Reserve is within the activation zone of the Meringur silo.

Meringur is a locality in northwestern Victoria in the Millewa district. It is located at the western end of the Red Cliffs-Meringur Road towards the South Australian border. Meringur is an aboriginal word believed to mean grey kangaroo.

The railway to Meringur opened in 1925. The station had facilities to handle passengers, sheep and grain. In 1926 land was subdivided and the township of Meringur was born. 

Above:- A plan of the township of Meringur. Image c/o State Library Victoria.

The Meringur Post Office opened on the 2nd day of February 1926. The town steadily grew and soon had a population of about 150 people. The town had an open-air Palais theatre, general store, post office, milk bar, tea rooms, bakehouse, dressmaker, mechanics shop, hardware store, guest house, hairdresser, saddlery store, greengrocer, tobacconist, timber yard, blacksmith, butchers, billard room, ice works, hall and a school.

An old store in Meringur, c. 1925. Image c/o Museums Victoria.

Following the reallocation of the farms in 1948, the Millewa district decreased in population. Werrimull located in the middle of the Millewa district became the district centre, and many of Meringur’s stores closed. Meringur’s current population is about 20 people and the sole remaining business is the Meringur Post Office.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3ZPF/p (VKFF-0623)
2. VK2GOM/p (VKFF-1156)
3. VK2VAR/p (VKFF-1156)
4. VK2BYF/p (VKFF-1156)
5. VK2VT/p (VKFF01156)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3ZPF/p (VKFF-0623)
2. VK2GOM/p (VKFF-1156)
3. VK2VAR/p (VKFF-1156)
4. VK2BYF/p (VKFF-1156)
5. VK2VT/p (VKFF01156)

References.

1. Discover Murray, 2023, <http://www.murrayriver.com.au/meringur/>, viewed 17th December 2023.
2. Victorian Places, 2023, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/meringur>, viewed 17h December 2023.
3. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meringur>, viewed 17th December 2023.

Our first activation for Monday 30th October 2023 was the Morkalla-Red Cliffs Railway Bushland Reserve VKFF-4217 and the Yarrara silo VK-YRA3.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Morkalla-Red Cliffs Railway Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

After breakfast at McDonalds in Renmark, we headed over the South Australian State border into the State of Victoria.

Along the way, we logged David VK5DG who was activating the Cooltong Conservation Park VKFF-0823. Signal reports of 5/9 both ways were exchanged. A short distance further along the Sturt Highway we pulled in quickly to the Murray Sunset National Park VKFF-0373 to make a Park to Park contact with David VK5DG.

A little further along the Sturt Highway, we logged Tony VK3YV who was activating the Hattah Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231. We then spoke with Peter VK3PF who was activating Carwarp West I12 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4143.

We turned off the Sturt Highway and travelled south along the Merringur North Road until we reached the little town of Merringur in the Millewa district of northwest Victoria. The Merringur Post Office opened on the 2nd day of February 1926, with the railway reaching the area the year prior in 1925.

The Millewa is a large strip of land situated between sections of the Murray Sunset National Park. Its boundaries are the Murray River to the north, Mildura to the east, the South Australia state border to the west, and the Murray Sunset National Park to the south. It was once inhabited by the Latje Latje aboriginal people.

During the 1920s the Millewa region was opened up for settlement. Prior to this, only large pastoral holdings existed in the region. Prospective settlers were allocated an average of 750 acres of land as purchase leases for agriculture. By 1928 a total of 600,000 acres of land had been taken up by 708 settlers. This was not easy living. The land was semi-arid and experienced about 250mm of rain annually.

Above:- Article from the Countryman, Melbourne, Fri 28 Nov 1924. Image c/o Trove.

Today the Millewa region is a successful grain growing district, producing high protein quality wheat and malting grade barley. Much of this success has been due to the piping of water from the Murray River.

It was often slow going on the roads with farm machinery traversing the roads between farming properties.

We continued on to Yarrara, as I had not initially planned to activate the silo at Merringur. Our plans were to activate the Yarrara silo which was in the activation zone of the Morkalla-Red Cliffs Railway Bushland Reserve.

Above:- The activation zone at the Yarrara silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

Morkalla is a locality in the Sunraysia region of Victoria. It is located at the farthest west point on the Redcliffs-Meringur Road. Morkalla is an aboriginal word meaning night. Following the end of the First World War, the Morkalla district was opened up to soldier settlers. 

Above:- a plan of the township of Morkalla. Image c/o State Library Victoria.

To assist the settlers, the branch line west from Red Cliffs on the Mildura railway line was extended to Morkalla in 1931. It had been extended to Werrimull in 1924 and to Meringur in 1925. Morkalla was the furthest railway station from Melbourne. 

Above:- An article from the Ouyen Mail, Wed 24 Jun 1931. Image c/o Trove.

There were stations/sidings at the following locations along the branch line (their aboriginal names are also included):

• Thurla opened 10th April 1924, closed 5th June 1939.
• Benetook – opened 10th April 1924, closed 5th June 1939 – ankle
• Pirlta – opened 10th April 1924, closed 5th June 1939 – opossum
• Merrinee – opened 10th April 1924, closed 5th June 1939 – south or wallaby
• Karawinna – opened 10th April 1924, closed 5th June 1939 – eaglehawk
• Werrimul – opened 10th April 1924, closed 5th June 1939 – emu
• Bambill – opened 30th October 1925, closed 5th June 1939 – box tree
• Yarrara – opened 30th October 1925, closed 5th June 1939 – wood
• Merringur – opened 30th October 1925, closed 5th June 1939 – Grey female kangaroo
• Karween – opened 16th June 1931, closed 5th June 1939 – grass tree
• Morkalla – opened 16th June 1931, closed 5th June 1939 – night. 

Above:- The Morkalla-Red Cliffs Railway line. Image c/o http://vrhistory.com/VRMaps/Vic1940.pdf

By 1939 Railway passenger facilities had been removed at Morkalla and in 1964 the line was closed. Not much remains at Morkalla apart from a few old sleepers indicating where the railway line once ran and the goods platform existed. Just the old railway platform exists at Karween. The old silos still exist at Merringur, along with the excellent Millewa Pioneer Park. This excellent pioneer park is well worth the visit if you are in the area. Nothing is evident at Bambil. The old silos still stand at Werrimul along with an old platform. Silos and the old good platform exist at Karawinna. Silos exist at Merinee and Pirlta. No sign of the railway exists at Benetook and Thurla.

Above:- Train crew posing next to the milepost indicating 403 miles (648 km) by rail from Melbourne on the Morkalla-Red Cliffs line. Image c/o Newport Railway Museum Facebook page.

Today, a two-kilometre section of the old 1600 mm gauge railway line has been converted to 610 mm gauge for a tourist train that operates on the line run by the Red Cliffs Historical Railway.

The remainder of the line is now the Morkalla-Red Cliffs Railway Bushland Reserve which is about 565 hectares in size and was established in May 1990.

We set up at Yarrara in the Reserve and within the activation zone of the Yarrara silo.

Yarrara, once a thriving community, is an aboriginal word meaning wood. 

Above:- Plan of the township of Yarrara. Image c/o State Library Victoria.

Above:- harvesting at Yarrara, c. 1927. Image c/o Museums Victoria.

The Yarrara station opened on the 30th day of October 1925 and closed on the 5th day of June 1939.

Image c/o Millewa History photos Facebook page.

Today very little remains of Yarrara. There are a few scattered houses and the silos of course. The town once flourished and had a Country Women’s Association, its own football club and an oval. The Yarrara Hall which was opened in 1935 and closed in 1944, is now located in the Millewa Pioneer Village at Meringur.

Above:- An aerial view of Yarrara. Image c/o Google Maps.

Other than the Railway Bushland Reserve, Yarrara also has the Yarrara Nature Conservation Reserve in close proximity.

The Yarrara silos are constructed of steel and have 50,000 bushel capacity.

Above:- part of an article from The Horsham Times, Tue 14 Mar 1933. Image c/o Trove.

Above:- article from the Sunraysia Daily, Tues 7 Mar 1933. Image c/o Trove.

We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation, in an inverted v configuration, supported by a 7-metre heavy-duty telescopic squid pole.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-

1. VK2USH
2. VK2EXA
3. VK3CLD
4. VK2GOM/p (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141)
5. VK2VAR/ (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141
6. VK2BYF/p (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141)
7. VK2VT/p (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141)
8. VK3OAK/p (Murray River National Park VKFF-0372)
9. VK3PWG/p (Murray River National Park VKFF-0372)
10. VK2IO/p (Murray River National Park VKFF-0372)
11. VK3PF/p (Carwarp West I12 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4143)
12. VK3YV/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-

1. VK1DI/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
2. VK3PF/p (Boonoornar Bushland Reserve VKFF-4146)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-

1. VK2USH
2. VK2EXA
3. VK3CLD
4. VK2GOM/p (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141)
5. VK2VAR/ (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141
6. VK2BYF/p (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141)
7. VK2VT/p (Kate Reed Nature Recreation Area VKFF-1141)
8. VK3OAK/p (Murray River National Park VKFF-0372)
9. VK3PWG/p (Murray River National Park VKFF-0372)
10. VK2IO/p (Murray River National Park VKFF-0372)
11. VK3PF/p (Carwarp West I12 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4143)
12. VK3APJ
13. VK3YV/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
14. VK5AHZ
15. VK5AYL
16. VK3TKK/m
17. VK3VIN
18. VK5HOL/m
19. VK3CWF
20. VK3CEO
21. VK3SO
22. VK5HS
23. VK5IS
24. VK3NAD
25. VK5FIVE
26. VK5AAF
27. VK3VMM
28. VK3UH
29. VK1AD
30. VK1NAM
31. VK1DI/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-

1. VK1DI/p (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park VKFF-0231)
2. VK3UH
3. VK1AD
4. VK1NAM
5. VK3CEO
6. VK3VIN
7. VK5FIVE
8. VK3YV/m
9. VK3CLD
10. VK3PF/p (Boonoornar Bushland Reserve VKFF-4146)
11. VK1AAF
12. VK5HS
13. VK2IO

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK4MUD
2. VK4KC
3. VK4MAD
4. VK4DOG
5. VK8DJ

References.

1. Blake, Les, 1977, Place Names of Victoria.
2. Flickr, 2023, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/129023979@N05/49475489982>, viewed 16th December 2023.
3. Flickr, 2023, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/129023979@N05/49489983161>, viewed 16th December 2023.
4. Millewa Pioneer Park, 2023, <https://www.millewapioneerpark.org.au/millewa.htm>, viewed 16th December 2023.
5. trainsandtrams.com, 2023, <https://www.trainsandtrams.com/railways-maps/station-details/>, viewed 16th December 2023.
6. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morkalla,_Victoria>, viewed 16th December 2023.
7. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morkalla_railway_line>, viewed 16th December 2023.