Daily Archives: February 26, 2024

Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2198

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Our next activation for Monday 20th November 2023, was the Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2198. The reserve is located about 20 km south of St Arnaud and about 225 km northwest of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

The Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve is a large park and is about 2,589 hectares in size. It was established on the 26th day of February 2002. (CAPAD 2022)

Above:- An aerial view of the Stuart Mill NCR. Image c/o Google Earth.

Stuart Mill is named in honour of John Stuart Mill (b. 1806. s. 1873), an English philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. (Wikipedia 2024) Other sources state that the name comes from Stuart Haggerty a flour mill manager. However, this is doubtful, as the town of Stuart Mill was gazetted in 1865 and the flour mill was established in 1872. (Victorian Places 2024)

Above:- John Stuart Mill. Image c/o Wikipedia.

Alluvial gold was discovered at Stuart Mill in 1861. By 1869 Stuart Mill’s population had boomed. Various sources put the population at between 1,000 to 7,500 people. Stuart Mill had several shops, houses, a Wesleyan chapel and a school built in 1870. By 1872 mining activity at Stuart Mill had declined, and a quartz-crushing plant was converted to a flour mill.  (Victorian Places 2024)

Above:- part of an article from The Argus, Melbourne, Sat 19 Dec 1868. Image c/o Trove.

Part of the Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve’s western boundary abuts the Kara Kara National Park.

We accessed the park via Stuart Mill Low Road. We found a nice clearing amongst the scrub. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
  4. VK3SQ
  5. VK2BD
  6. VK3SG
  7. VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
  8. VK3CLD/p (Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269)

Marija worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK3SQ
  4. VK2BD
  5. VK2EXA
  6. VK5HS
  7. VK3DCQ

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
  4. VK3SQ
  5. VK2BD
  6. VK3SG
  7. VK2HHA
  8. VK2EXA
  9. VK3DJC
  10. VK3DCQ
  11. VK3VIN
  12. VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
  13. VK3CLD/p (Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269)
  14. Vk5HS
  15. VK3CEO
  16. VK3TDX
  17. VK3YV
  18. VK3TNL
  19. VK2CDB
  20. VK4NH
  21. VK4DXA
  22. VK3ZMD
  23. Vk3ACZ
  24. VK3DAC
  25. VK4FE/3
  26. VK5FANA
  27. VK3HBG
  28. VK3RM
  29. VK3SO
  30. VK3TBS
  31. VK3UCD
  32. Vk3NRB
  33. VK3FREB
  34. VK3GB
  35. VK5KKT
  36. VK3UZI

I worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK3SQ
  4. VK2BD
  5. VK2EXA
  6. VK5HS
  7. VK3DCQ
  8. VK3YV
  9. VK3TNL
  10. VK5FANA
  11. VK3DAC
  12. VK4FE/3

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4NH
  2. VK4DXA
  3. VK1AO
  4. VK2MET
  5. KG5CIK

After our park activation, we visited the Stuart Mill cemetery which is listed on the List of the World’s best cemeteries. Yes, there is such a list. The cemetery was gazetted in 1865 and contains several wooden tablets as grave markers which are rare surviving examples of 1800s grave architecture. There are also Chinese digger graves, some impressive monuments, and a soldier’s memorial. (Goldfields Guide 2024)

One of the impressive sites in the cemetery is the large granite block monument to the MacDonnell family.

Donald Charles MacDonnell was born in January 1862 at Stuart Mill. His parents were Alexander MacDonnell (b. 1826. d. 1907) and Christina MacDonnell nee MacMaster (b. 1832. d. 1897). They were both from Inverness Shire, Scotland and had emigrated to Australia. He initially assisted on his parent’s farm and in 1886 moved to New South Wales. He was an early member of the Shearer’s Union and played a leading role in the 1891 strike. In 1894 he assisted in drafting the rule for the Australian Workers Union (AWU) and in that same year he became Secretary of the Shearers Union Bourke branch and also a member of the Australian Labor Pary. From 1900 to 1911 he was the General Secretary of the AWU. In 1902 MacDonnell was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Cobar. He served in that position until 1911. MacDonnell was the Minister for Agriculture and Colonial Secretary from 1910 to 1911. He died in 1911 in Melbourn e, Victoria, and is buried at Stuart Mill. (Academic 2024)

Above:- Donald Charles MacDonnell. Image c/o MacKintosh MacDonald Family tree, http://www.ancestry.com.au

We then drove out to the Lower Teddington and Upper Teddington Reservoirs. The Upper Teddington Reservoir is over 130 years old and was originally created to provide water to the town of St Arnaud. (Parks Victoria 2024)

We then travelled south along the Sunraysia Highway to Avoca where we had planned to spend three nights. We booked into our accommodation at the Avoca Caravan Park.

References.

  1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022 [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌
  2. Donald Macdonell (Australian politician). (n.d.). Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. [online] Available at: https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11656533 [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].
  3. ‌https. (n.d.). Stuart Mill Cemetery. [online] Available at: https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/explore-location/196/stuart-mill-cemetery/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌
  4. Wikipedia Contributors (2019). John Stuart Mill. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill. [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌
  5. ‌www.parks.vic.gov.au. (n.d.). Upper Teddington Reservoir Decommissioning Project. [online] Available at: https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/projects/northern-and-central-victoria/upper-teddington-reservoir-decommissioning-project [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌
  6. http://www.victorianplaces.com.au. (n.d.). Stuart Mill | Victorian Places. [online] Available at: https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/stuart-mill.‌ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌

Carapooee I46 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4268

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After leaving the Carapooee Creek Streamside Reserve, we drove a short distance to our next activation, the Carapooee I46 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4268. The park is about 11 km southeast of St Arnaud and about 236 km northwest of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Carapooee I46 Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

We drove south along Marchment Road and we soon reached the reserve.

The Carapooee I46 Bushland Reserve is about 10 hectares in size and was established on the 24th day of August 1982. (CAPAD 2022)

Above:- An aerial view of the reserve, also showing the Caropooee Creek Streamside Reserve and the Carapooe I47 Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Maps.

Initially, we thought that we may have some access issues into this park as we found a gate with a ‘Do not enter’ sign. This is a ‘strange’ park in that it contains Forster’s Quarry. Fortunately, we found a part of the park in the southern section, where we could drive in along a 4WD track.

We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.

Above:- An aerial view of the reserve showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3GCM/p (VK-TNL3)
  2. VK3UCD
  3. VK5DW
  4. VK3CLD/p (Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269)
  5. VK7XX
  6. VK3PF
  7. VK3KAI
  8. VK3DCQ
  9. VK3ZSC
  10. VK3CEO

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3GCM/p (VK-TNL3)
  2. VK3UCD
  3. VK5DW
  4. VK3CLD/p (Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269)
  5. VK7XX
  6. VK3PF
  7. VK3KAI
  8. VK3DCQ
  9. VK3ZSC
  10. VK3CEO
  11. VK3QA
  12. VK1AO
  13. VK2MET
  14. VK3YV
  15. VK3TNL
  16. VK3ZGA
  17. VK5AMH/m
  18. VK5FANA
  19. VK3TKK/m
  20. VK3KRL

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4NH
  2. VK4DXA

References.

  1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022 [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌

Carapooee Creek Streamside Reserve VKFF-3641

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Our second Monday 20th November 2023 activation was the Carapooe Creek Streamside Reserve VKFF-3641. However, it was not our preferred option.

We had hoped to activate the Carapooee I48 Bushland Reserve. We found a dirt track leading to the reserve set off the road. However, we were unsure if this was private property so we decided not to venture down the track. A little further up Kooreh Road, we found an unlocked gate with a track that led to the park, but again we decided to err on the side of caution and not activate this park.

We drove a bit further north on Kooreh Road towards the Carapooee I47 Bushland Reserve which the maps showed was set off the road. Unfortunately, we found a locked gate with a ‘do not enter’ sign on it. Strike two. It was now time to review our options.

We decided to activate the Carapooe Creek Streamside Reserve. The park is located about 13 km southeast of St Arnaud and about 238 km northwest of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Carapooee Creak Streamside Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

The first European settlers in the area occupied the Strathfilan pastoral run which was taken up in 1844. Strathfillan comprised 106,000 acres. In 1857 the run came into the hands of David Peters @ Peter (b. 1819. d. 1881). He was born in February 1819 in Forfar, Angus, Scotland and emigrated to Victoria in 1842, aged 22 years. In 1858 gold was discovered in the area and the settlement that sprung up as a result was known as Peter’s Diggings. Between 1859 to 1860 there were 1,300 miners as Peter’s Diggings. (Victorian Places 2024) (Wikitree 2024)

Peters sold Strathfilan Station in 1861 for £14,940. He had benefited substantially from gold finds and had accumulated a small fortune from the sale of his various properties. In 1864 he travelled to Europe for 14 months to seek a cure for his gout. He returned to Australia in 1865 but by 1870 he and his family returned to Europe, travelling extensively and spending about  £10,000 on living and accommodation expenses. He died in Germany in 1881. Following his death, his wife and family returned to Australia. (Wikitree 2024)

Bailliere’s Victorian gazetteer of 1865 recorded that Peter’s Creek had two quartz-crushing mills, three hotels, and a brewery. (Victorian Places 2024)

Above:- Article from the Bendigo Advertiser, Wed 9 Jun 1858. Image c/o Trove.

By the 1870s the area became known as Carapooee, named after the Parish. Carapooee is derived from an aboriginal word carripooi meaning hill. Carapooee was originally known as Peter’s Diggings. Carapooe Creek is a tributary of the Avoca River and was originally called Campbell’s Creek. (Blake 1978) (Victorian Places 2024)

The Carapooee Streamside Reserve is about 9 hectares in size and was established on the 24th day of August 1982. (CAPAD 2022)

Above:- An aerial view of the reserve, looking towards St Arnaud. Image c/o Google Maps.

The reserve is located on either side of Carapooee Road.

Above:- An aerial view of the Carapooee Creek Streamside Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The Carapooe Creek passes through the reserve. During our visit, the creek was virtually dry.

Opposite the reserve is a vineyard from the old Berrys Bridge winery and an old red brick 1860s miners’ cottage. (Commercial Real Estate 2024)

We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3UAO/p (Errinundra National Park VKFF-0158)
  2. VK3PF
  3. VK3KAI
  4. VK3SQ
  5. VK2BD
  6. VK5DG/p (Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve VKFF-3432)
  7. VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)

Marija worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK3CEO
  4. VK3CA
  5. VK3SQ
  6. VK2BD
  7. VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
  8. VK3UAO/p (Errinundra National Park VKFF-0158)
  9. VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3UAO/p (Errinundra National Park VKFF-0158)
  2. VK3PF
  3. VK3KAI
  4. Vk3SQ
  5. VK2BD
  6. VK3CEO
  7. VK3PWG
  8. VK3CA
  9. VK5BB
  10. VK5DG/p (Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve VKFF-3432)
  11. Vk1AO
  12. Vk2MET
  13. VK3TUN/p (Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve VKFF-3432)
  14. VK3ZSC
  15. VK2TOT/p (Silo VK-AVA3)
  16. VK3VMM
  17. VK3KR
  18. VK7EE
  19. VK3QH
  20. VK3BSF
  21. VK3YV
  22. VK3TNL
  23. VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
  24. VK3SO
  25. VK5HS
  26. VK3UCD
  27. VK3CLD
  28. VK2HHA
  29. VK3UP/m

I worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK3CEO
  4. VK3CA
  5. VK3SQ
  6. VK2BD
  7. VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
  8. VK3UAO/p (Errinundra National Park VKFF-0158)
  9. VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
  10. VK5HS
  11. VK3SO
  12. VK3UCD
  13. VK3GCM/p (Silo VK-TNL3)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4NH
  2. VK4DXA
  3. VK1AO
  4. VK2MET
  5. VK7EE
  6. VK4EHI
  7. VK4EW

I worked the following station on 20m AM:-

  1. VK4EW

References.

  1. CommercialRealEstate.com.au. (2023). 633 Carapooee Road, Carapooee VIC 3477 – Sold Rural & Farming | Commercial Real Estate. [online] Available at: https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/633-carapooee-road-carapooee-vic-3477-2018371222 [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].
  2. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022 [Accessed 21 Feb. 2024].‌
  3. ‌Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
  4. ‌www.victorianplaces.com.au. (n.d.). Carapooee | Victorian Places. [online] Available at: https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/carapooee [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌
  5. http://www.wikitree.com. (1819). David (Peter) Peters (1819-1881) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree. [online] Available at: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Peter-1472 [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].‌