It was just a short drive from the Murtoa silo to our next silo activation, the Murtoa North silo VK-MRU3. This silo complex is located on Thomas Road on the northeastern side of Murtoa.
Although very impressive and probably from an art perspective, one of my favourite silos, Marija and I were disappointed about its location. The best view can be obtained from the Water Tower Museum.
The silo art was completed in April 2023 and is the work of Sam Bates, @ Smug. His inspiration was the James Hill taxidermy collection in Murtoa. A total of thirty birds can be seen on the silo. One of those birds glows at night to represent the one in thirty Australians who suffer from mental health issues. This part of the silo art relates to Dr John Cade, a psychiatrist who was born in Murtoa. (Australian Silo Art 2024)
John Frederick Joseph Cade AO (b. 1912. d. 1980), was an Australian psychiatrist. In 1948 he discovered the effects of lithium carbonate as a mood stabilizer in the treatment of bipolar disorder. (News.com.au 2024)
Above:- Dr. John Cade. Image c/o Wikipedia.
We parked on Thomas Road adjacent to the silo and operated from the 4WD running the Icon IC-7000, 200 watts, and the Coadn 9350 antenna with the 1.5-metre stainless steel whip.
Above:- The activation zone at the Murtoa North silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.
Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK4EMP
- VK4TI
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK4EMP
- VK4TI
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK4NH
- VK4DXA
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK3PF
- VK3GJG
- VK3SQ
- VK2BD
- VK2IO/m
References.
- news.com.au — Australia’s #1 news site. (2019). news.com.au — Australia’s #1 news site. [online] Available at: https://www.news.com.au.
- www.australiansiloarttrail.com. (n.d.). Mutoa Silo Art. [online] Available at: https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/murtoa [Accessed 23 Feb. 2024].
VK5PAS 