Marija and I left the Dunach Nature Conservation Reserve on Friday 24th November 2023, and we drove north to our next park activation, the Mount Greenock Geological Reserve VKFF-3789.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Mount Greenock Geological Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
The explorer Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell was the first European to travel through this area. He climbed and named Mount Greenock on the 26th day of September 1836. The name came from a burgh on the Forth of Clyde. From this vantage point, Mitchell also named the bare surrounding volcanic cones as the “Mammeloid Hills”. (Monument Australia 2024)
Above:- Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell. Image c/o Wikipedia.
From 1841, Mount Greenock formed part of Alexander MacCallum’s Dunach Forest pastoral run, sometimes referred to as the Mount Greenock run. (Goldfields Guide 2024) (Victorian Goldfields Project 1998)
From 1855 to 1886 gold was mined at Mount Greenock. The first period of gold mining at Mount Greenock was in June 1855. (Victorian Goldfields Project 1998)
Above:- part of an article from the Geelong Advertiser, Tue 7 Jun 1859. Image c/o Trove.
The reserve is about 142 hectares in size and was established on the 24th day of August 1982. (CAPAD 2022)
The reserve includes Mount Greenock, an extinct volcano. (Goldfields Guide 2024)
Above:- An aerial view of Mount Greenock. Image c/o Google Maps.
There is an excellent information board at the reserve that outlines the life and times of Major Mitchell.
Unfortunately, we had constant drizzling rain during this activation so we operated from within the 4WD, running the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I also used the COdan 930 antenna on 15m. There were severe static crashes on 40m, but despite that, we managed to qualify the park.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3UAO
VK5HS
VK3PWG
VK2EXA
VK3VIN
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK7DW
VK5VK
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3HJW
VK3XE/p (Baw Baw National Park VKFF-0020 & SOTA VK3/ VT-006)
VK3SG
VK2IO/p (Melrose Nature Reserve VKFF-3183)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3UAO
VK5HS
VK3PWG
VK2EXA
VK3VIN
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK7DW
VK5VK
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3HJW
VK3XE/p (Baw Baw National Park VKFF-0020 & SOTA VK3/ VT-006)
It was now Friday 24th November 2023, and our plans for the day were to visit the historic town of Clunes and undertake some park activations for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.
Marija and I hit the road quite early and travelled from our accommodation at Sandon to Clunes, a short distance of about 30 km.
Our first stop of the day was the historic McLennan Bridge over Birch (Bullarook) Creek. The bridge was built in the 1870s, possibly by the Borough of Clunes. It is the third oldest existing Victorian metal truss bridge after the Glemona Bridge at Bung Bong and the nearby Jorgenson’s Bridge. The 14.2 metre span bridge has bluestone abutments and pier, and deck-type lattice trusses. It is one of a small number of riveted wrought iron lattice truss bridges that were built in Victoria to replace early timber bridges that were destroyed in the 1870 floods. (Victoria Heritage Database 2024) (Waymarking 2024)
Sadly there was loss of life at Birch’s Creek during the record 1870 Victoria floods. The Illustrated Australian News, Mon 10 Oct 1870 stated “...the Murray, where extensive plains on either side of the river were suddenly converted into a vast lake.” (Floods in Victoria, Trove 2024)
The Mount Alexander Mail reported the loss of two lives at Birch’s Creek.
Above: article from the Mount Alexander Mail, Thu 15 Sep 1870. Image c/o Trove.
We soon reached the town of Clunes.
The first European settler in the area was Donald Cameron. He was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1818 and emigrated to Australia with his half-sister and her husband William Campbell. In 1839 he named his property Clunes after his home in Scotland. In Gaelic, Clunes means ‘a green place’. This area is now known as Cameron Reserve. Donald and William settled a few miles apart. A few years after settling in the area, Donald returned to Scotland where he was married. (Clunes and Glenelg 1931) (Monument Australia 2024) (State Library Victoria Clunes 2013) (Victorian Places 2024)
Above:- the station of Donald Cameron, c. 1840s. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
In 1851 one of Victoria’s first official gold discoveries occurred at Clunes and this resulted in a gold rush for alluvial gold along Creswick Creek. This was followed by a larger operation to extract gold from the quartz reefs mear Clunes. (Victorian Places 2024)
An Anglican Church was built in 1859. By 1860 the Clunes borough had a population of about 6,000 people. In 1862 a Presbyterian Church was built and this was followed by a Primitive Methodist church in 1868. The North Clunes School was opened in 1875. The South Clunes School opened in 1878. (Victorian Places 2024)
Several civic buildings were constructed in Clunes during the 1870s. This included a hospital in 1873, a Town Hall and Courthouse in 1873, and a Mechanics Institute in 1874. (Victorian Places 2024)
In 2010, Clunes was declared Australia’s first International Booktown by the International Organisation of Booktowns. Each year Clunes runs a two day festival which is full of author and artist talks, workshops, and live entertainment for the whole family. (Clunes Booktown 2024)
Before exploring this historic town, Marija and I enjoyed a magnificent cooked breakfast at one of the local cafes called ‘Fifty Two’.
Our first stop after breakfast was the historic Clunes Railway Station which was built in 1874. The contract for the construction of the station was dated 25th September 1874. The building was completed by J. Short, with the cast iron verandah being supplied by Robinson Brothers. The water tower, crane and can goods shed were demolished in the 1980s. In 1993 the last passenger train passed through Clunes. In June 2010 it was announced that the Clunes Railway Station would reopen. (Waking up in Geelong)
The former Telegraph Hotel, built in c. 1865 is located on the corner of Bailey and Fraser Street. The hotel closed on the 31st day of December 1916 and is now used as a Bed and Breakfast. In 1916, Licensing Court hearings conducted by the Licenses Reduction Board identified numerous hotels across Victoria where the licenseswere to undergo a review and recommendations made for some of those hotels being forced to close. The Telegraph Hotel was not included on the list of hotels to be closed, however the owners voluntarily surrendered their license and the owner was paid £410 in compensation. (Hotels of Ballarat 2024) (Walking Maps 2024)
The foundation stone of the Clunes Town Hall was laid by the Chief Secretary of Victoria, Charles Gavan Duffy in April 1872. The building opened in May 1873. The building was designed by architect Percy Oakden, and built by William Cowland. Both these men were responsible for the construction of the Ballarat Town Hall. (Heritage Council Victoria 2024) (Walking Maps 2024)
The Clunes Post and Telegraph Office was constructed in 1879 by Messrs Lewis and Roberts at a cost of £4099. The kitchen outbuildings were constructed by Charles Morgan & Co for an additional £279. It replaced a smaller Post office building that was built in 1861. (Heritage Council Victoria 2024)
The Clunes Mechanic Institute was built in 1874. (Walking Maps 2024)
The foundation stone of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church was laid by Bishop Goold of Melbourne, on the 9th day of March 1878. The church closed on the 27th day of May 2018. (Churches Australia 2024) (Walking Maps 2024)
The former Wesleyan Methodist church was built in 1864.
The All Nations Masonic Lodge was first built as the Primitive Methodist Church in 1868, closing in 1907. (Walking Maps 2024)
The former Railway Hotel was established in 1873 and closed in 1916. It was one of six hotels in the Clunes district closed by the License Reduction Board. The owner received £225 compensation.(Ballarat Hotels 2024)
The Club Hotel was built in 1870. It was one of a number of hotels built in Fraser Street, Clunes during the late 1860s and early 1870s. The hotel was constructed by owner and occupier, Griffin Wiles. (Victoria Heritage Council 2024) (Walking Maps 2024)
The National Hotel was built in 1860. (Walking Maps 2024)
Section 3-Allotment 23-Township of CLunes (26 Fraser Street) was included in the initial Clunes township survey of 1858. The building served as an agent of the Cobb & Co until the late 1800s.
This store and cottage was built in 1853. (Walking Maps 2024)
The Union Bank was built in 1865. (Walking Maps 2024)
The English, Scotish and Australian Bank (ES & A) was built in 1871 and was designed by leading Melbourne architect Leonard Terry. He was responsible for the design of over 50 major bank branches in Victoria. Terry is regarded as one of the most important bank architects in Victoria at the time. (Heritage Council Victoria 2024) (Walking Maps 2024)
The London Chartered Bank was built in 1871 by architect Leonard Terry, and is now used by the RSL. (Heritage Council Victoria 2024)
And of course, Clunes has a Bills horse trough.
There is so much history in this town. Allow yourself at least half a day to have a good look around.
We then stopped in at Queens Park and the Queens Fountain which was erected by the Burgesses of Clunes as a memorial of affection and loyalty on the completion of the 15th year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
Marija and I then drove up to Esmond Park lookout at Clunes and the site of the Port Phillip Mine.
This is from the information board at the site:
“In 1851 the innovative Port Phillip and Colonial Gold Mining Company was floated in London to mine for gold on the Victorian goldfields.
The Port Phillip Company tried to mine at various sites around Victoria, but miners were hostile to the large, foreign owned company. It was not until 1857 that work started after the superintendent of the Company, Henry Rivett Bland, negotiated an agreement to mine on Cameron’s pastoral lease, receiving sole rights to mine the land for twenty-one years.
The deep quartz reefs under Clunes were the goal of the Port Phillip Company. Large stamping batteries to crush the quartz were erected. Charles Kinnear and 100 shareholding miners of the Clunes Quartz Company provided the quartz to Port Phillip Company on a profit sharing basis.
A pioneer in many technical company mining innovations, the Port Phillip Company invested heavily in equipment. With 80 stampers it boasted one of the largest gold plants in the world. It was the first Victorian mine to provide fresh air to the workings using a Roots Blower. Highly qualified engineers imported from England ensured a productive future for the Company.
The kilns of the Port Phillip Company are some of the earliest man-made structures surviving at Clunes. The kilns were used to roast gold bearing quartz, which made it easier to crush.
The Port Phillip Company was one of the top five productive gold mines in Victoria, producing 16,000 kilograms of gold. Operation ceased in 1891.”
Government Bridge is one of the earliest remaining public workds in CLunes and was the first substantial link between north and south Clunes. The bridge originally had a laminated wooden arch to carry the traffic. In 1896 this was replaced by steel lattice girders supporting the decking whilst retaining th basalt abutments at 1862. A new foundation stone was dedicated by the Mayoress Mrs W.T. Pitcher on the 12th day of December 1896.
We then visited the Clunes Museum which is located in the former Nichol and Wallace Warehouse which was built in about 1858-1863.
This is an excellent museum and contains a large selection of historical material from the Clunes district.
After leaving the Clunes Museum, we visited the Lee Medlyn Home of Bottles in Clunes. This amazing museum contains over 6,000 old and historical bottles that date from 1,500 AD to present times. The bottles include those used for beer, wine, spirit, aerated waters, preserves, condiments, ginger beer, chemist and drug companies. (Clunes Museum 2024)
The museum is contained in th e decommissioned South Clunes State School which was designed b y Henry Bastow, the Chief Architect for the Eduction Department. It was opened in 1882. In 1922 it ceased being used as a school and was then used as a knitting mill. From 1985 it has been used to house the bottle museum.
We spent a couple of hours here. It is an absolutely amazing collection and brought back a lot of memories.
After leaving the bottle museum, Marija and I activated the Dunach Nature Conservation Reserve. The park is located on the southwestern side of Ballarat-Maryborough Road, about 10 km northwest of Clunes.
The first European in the Dunach area was Major Thomas Livingstone Mitchell whose exploration party reached the district in September 1836. Upon his return to Sydney, Mitchell reported favourably on the area for farming. By June 1841 Alexander McCallum arrived in the area. On the 1st day of April 1848, a grazing lease was granted to him for Dunach Forest, consisting of 63,640 acres (257.5 km²). The name was derived from Oban, Argyllshire, Scotland (Blake 1978) (Localista 2024)
Above:- part of an article in The Argus, Tue 3 Oct 1848. Image c/o Trove.
The reserve is about 479 hectares and was established on the 26th day of February 2002. (CAPAD 2022)
Unfortunately, we experienced constant drizzling rain during this activation, so we operated from the warmth of the 4WD. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I used the special callsign of VI10VKFF.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3XE/p (Baw Baw National Park VKFF-0020 & SOTA VK3/ VT-006)
VK2IO/p (Melrose Nature Reserve VKFF-3183)
Marija worked the following stations on 40m AM:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3UH
VK5HS
VK3APJ
VK7JFD
VK3SQ
VK2BD
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3APJ
VK3ANL
VK5HS
VK3DCQ
VK3SG
VK3VIN
VK3MDC/m
VK7XX
VK3ZSC
VK3UH
VK3BSF
VK3BBB
VK2CCP
VK3EJ
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK4MHZ/7
VK3UP/m
VK3BWS
VK3XE/p (Baw Baw National Park VKFF-0020 & SOTA VK3/ VT-006)
VK3KRL
VK3VMM
VK3UAO
VK3MTT
VK3MCA
VK2IO/p (Melrose Nature Reserve VKFF-3183)
I worked the following stations on 40m AM:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3UH
VK5HS
VK3APJ
VK7JFD
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK3VIN
VK5KBJ
VK5IS
VK3BSF
VK5EE
VK3ANL
VK3UAO
VK3DCQ
VK3MAP
VK3ZSC
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
VK4QD
VK4AWB
ZL1TM
ZL3MR
VK1AO
VK2MET
VK4HAT
References.
Adventures, C. jojo’s (n.d.). Clunes Heritage Walk. [online] Walking Maps. Available at: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4817 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2024].
After dinner on Thursday 23rd November 2023, Marija and I decided to head out to activate the Rise and Shine Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-4277.
The park is located at Sandon, about 138 km northwest of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Rise & Shine NCR. Map c/o Google Maps.
The reserve is about 113 hectares in size and was established on the 26th day of February 2002. (CAPAD 2022)
Above:- An aerial view of the Rise & Shine NCR showing the park boundaries. Image c/o Google Earth.
The reserve takes its name from an old gold mine. It is located on Sandon-Clydesdale Road, Sandon. Sandon takes its name from Sandon in Essex. (Blake 1978)
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. Band conditions on 40m were excellent. We experienced the Over The Horizon Radar on 80m.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK7AAE
VK3APJ
VK5DW
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK3BBB
VK2CCP
VK5GY
VK3GJG
VK2EG
VK1AO
VK2MET
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK7AAE
VK3APJ
VK5DW
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK3BBB
VK2CCP
VK5GY
VK3GJG
VK2EG
VK1AO
VK2MET
VK3PF/m
VK3KAI/m
VK3MTT
VK2WGW
VK3YV
VK3TNL
KG5CIK
VK2DL
VK2IMP
VK2YK
VK5GA
VK3CA
VK5LA
VK5KAW
VK5KLV
VK2LQ
VK2PCT
VK2DWP
VK7MAT
VK4HMI
VK3SX
VK2WE
VK3GB
VK3SG
VK5KVA
VK5SPJ
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-
VK3CA
VK5LA
VK5KAW
VK2YK
VK5GA
VK3ARM
VK2DWP
VK3GJG
VK5HS
With the park qualified, we packed up and returned to our Sandon accommodation. It was a slow drive as we had plenty of company on the roads.
Our next activation for Thursday 23rd November 2023 was the Moolort silo VK-MLT3 for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program. Moolort is about 18 km east of Maryborough in central Victoria.
Above:- Map showing the location of Moorlort in Victoria. Map c/o Google Maps.
On the way we encountered several farm machinery on the roads, travelling from one farm paddock to another.
Moolort is an aboriginal word meaning fern. Moolort’s main current industry is agriculture with sheep and crop farming, some wine vineyards and conifers for Christmas trees. (Blake 1978) (Wikipedia 2024)
The Moorlort silos are located on the southern side of Keystone Mine Road, alongside the old Moolort railway line that connected Maryborough and Castlemaine. The line passed through Campbells Creek, Yapeen, Guildford, Strangways, Newstead, Moolort, and Carisbrook. Construction of the railway commenced in 1872.
The line was inaugurated on the 26th day of June 1874, with eight hundred schoolchildren being the first to travel from Maryborough to Castlemaine. On the 7th day of July 1874, the line was opened to general passenger traffic. (Trove 2024)
On the 31st day of July 1977, the last passenger rail service operated between Castlemaine and Maryborough. (Traffic 1977)
Marija and I parked on Keystone Mine Road and operated from the 4WD for this activation. We ran the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.
Above:- The activation zone at the Moolort silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK5CZ
VK2IO/m
VK3PF
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK5CZ
VK2IO/m
VK3PF
VK1AO
VK2MET
VK5FB
VK5HS
VK3AWA
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
VK4CK/m
VK4JT
3D2MP
WH6GPU
VK4GRZ
VK4LMB
VK4XCS
We left Moolort and headed to our accommodation at Sandon. Along the way, we passed Cairn Curran Reservoir. The Cairn Curran Reservoir was constructed between 1947 and 1956 by the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission of Victoria, to supply water for irrigation and domestic and stock use along the Loddon River. It was built for £1.23 million. (Goulburn Murray Water 2024) (Museums Victoria 2024)
We soon reached the little town of Newstead, about 142 km northwest of Melbourne and about 15km southwest of Castlemaine.
Newstead is located in the Victorian goldfields region, however, it did not have rich gold deposits itself. Rather, the town grew from being a crossing place on the Loddon River, often for miners who were travelling between Castlemaine and the Mount Alexander diggings. The crossing was known as Mingus’s (or Mingay’s) Crossing Place of the Loddon, and was located about 3 km downstream of the present bridge over the Loddon River. The area is now submerged under water from the Cairn Curran Reservoir. The crossing was named for John Menzies, a Scot, who was the owner of Tarrengower Run and Park Hill. (Heritage Study 2004) (Newstead Heritage Walks 2016) (Victorian Places 2024)
During the early 1850s, a gentleman by the name of Thomas Jones ran a ‘Refreshment Tent’ at this location, known as the Bullock Drivers’ Home. Thomas Jones was born in 1830 in Carmarthenshire, Wales and had emigrated to Australia. The Bullock Drivers Home operated as a sly-grog shop with Jones being charged on several occasions. (ancestry.com.au 2024) (Publicans V Grogshops 1854)
On the 22nd day of July 1854, Assistant Governor Surveyor John Turner published a plan for the township called St Andrews on the River Loddon. Just 2 weeks later, on the 6th day of August 1854, the same plan was issued but this time the given name was Newstead. The plans were cancelled due to the floods of September 1855, and a new location was decided on for the town. (Heritage Study 2004) (Newstead Heritage Walks 2016)
In August 1854, the sale of Crown lands was advertised at Mingus’s Crossing. The Mount Alexander Mail stated: “The general aspect of the country there is delightful.” (Mount Alexander Mail 1854)
Above:- Article from the Mount Alexander Mail, Sat 26 Aug 1854. Image c/o Trove.
By April 1855, the Newstead Hotel had opened under the partnership of James David Jones and Frederick Beard, a businessman from Castlemaine, and Harris Friedlich. James Jones was not related to Thomas Jones. (Heritage Study 2004)
Above: Article from the Mount Alexander Mail, Fri 1 Jun 1855. Image c/o Trove.
Above:- Item from the Mount Alexander Mail, Fri 6 Jul 1855. Image c/o Trove
By June 1855, the refreshment tent was up for sale due to the ill health of the wife of Thomas Jones. The Mount Alexander Times stated: “The premises comprise a bakehouse, butcher’s shop, three stalled stable, stockyard, and about a quarter of an acre of well-stocked garden ground.” (Mt Alexander Mail 1855)
Above:- Advertisement from the Mount Alexander Mail, Fri 29 Jun 1855. Image c/o Trove.
In 1855 Thomas Jones had erected a bridge over the Loddon River at Mingus Crossing. It was known as Jone’s Bridge. The Mount Alexander Times, Friday 17th August 1855 reported:
“Mr. Jones, who at his own expense has erected a bridge over the Loddon at Newstead-or, as it is more popularly known, Mingus’s crossing place – sufficiently strong to resist the floods of the river, and to sustain the weight of traffic which passes over it.” (Extraordinary conduct 1855)
Above:- An article from the Mount Alexander Mail, Fri 17 Aug 1855. Image c/o Trove.
Within a few months of being built, Jones Bridge was destroyed by floodwaters in September 1855.
In July 1856 allotments for Newstead township went on sale at Castlemaine. (Heritage Study 2004)
When the site of the town was relocated, the proprietors of the Newstead Hotel were quick to move and a new Newstead Hotel appeared in Lyons Street early in 1856. The original building was of wooden construction, however, it was destroyed by fire on the 4th day of June 1931. (Newstead Heritage Walks 2016)
In 1856 a flour mill was built. In 1859 a National School and a Presbyterian church were opened. Newstead’s population in 1861 was 212 people. A few years later in 1863, Baptist, Anglican and Methodist churches were opened. By the mid-1860s, Newstead had a brewery, biscuit factory and two hotels. In 1868 a Mechanics Institute was built. In 1869 a three-storey bluestone flour mill was built. By 1871 Newstead’s population was 210 people. (Victorian Places 2024)
In November 1859 a meeting was held at the Newstead Hotel to petition the Government for a bridge over the Loddon River. The Tarrengower Times, Tuesday 8th November 1859 stated that ‘the existing bridge was a private one; that from adverse verdicts obtained against him in the Castlemaine Police Court, preventing his levying tolls, the proprietor was allowing it to become dilapidated, and had threatened to destroy it; that this was the sole crossing place in this direction to all the western diggings, as well as for an extensive agricultural district.” (Newstead Bridge 1859)
Above:- Article from The Tarrengower Times and Maldon District Advertiser, Tues 8 Nov 1859.
Image c/o Trove.
A poorly constructed bridge and a punt connected Newstead with another settlement known as the Junction that was located on the River Loddon’s west bank. In July 1860 a timber toll bridge was constructed over the Loddon River. (Heritage Study 2004)
Newstead has numerous historic buildings. Here is a quick summary of some of those buildings which we visited.
Newstead Courthouse.
A public meeting was held in 1861 at the Newstead Hotel to discuss the establishment of a Court of Petty Sessions in the town. The court was subsequently established, however there was criticism at the low standard of accommodation. By 1863 the wooden Baptist Chapel served as a Police Court. Calls were made for a more substantial building, and in 1863, John James Clark, a prominent architect in the Public Works Department, designed the new Newstead Courthouse. It was built in 1865 by Mackay and Ross at a cost of £911. It was decommissioned as a court in 1981. (Heritage Study 2004)
Railway Station.
In about 1861 to 1862 the Newstead Road Board held a public meeting regarding the construction of a railway from Maryborough that would pass through Newstead. Sadly this did not progress. In 1871 a public meeting was held to discuss the extension of the railway line westward from Maryborough to Castlemaine. In 1873 the Mount Alexander Mail reported that the first instalment of rails for the Castlemaine to Newstead railway line had arrived and that ‘the contractor will soon lay in place.’ The following year in March 1874, tenders were called for the construction of a passenger station at Newstead. The line opened in July 1874. The railway goods shed was constructed in 1882. (Heritage Study 2004)
Newstead Flour Mill.
The Newstead Flour Mill is a very impressive bluestone building that was opened in mid 1869 and was built by the Sheehan brothers. The mill was operated by the Sheehan family until 1914. The old mill was auctioned in 1975, by which time it was derelict, lacking floors, a roof and windows. (Heritage Study 2004)
Former Newstead Bakery.
In 1856 this block of land was granted to James Monks who sold the land in 1957 to Charles Marsden. From that time, the land was sold to various persons over the years. The building operated as a bakery by numerous bakers including William Sutherland, George McArthur, Thomas Toulen, and William Backway. Following the 1909 flood, the building was either rebuilt of substantially repaired. (Heritage Study 2004)
Old bank building.
This site was originally purchased in February 1860 by David Corbett who built a wattle and daub store and conducted business there as a general store for about 15 years. Between 1864 to 1865 the land and building was purchased by the Bank of New South Wales and a branch was opened on the 3rd day of February 1865. It closed in March 1871. The building was then taken over by the Oriental Bank and it operated until 1884. In May 1884 the National Bank of Australasia announced that it had opened a branch at Newstead in the former Oriental Bank building. In December 1886 the building was sold to a Mr. R. Rowe and the building was demolished with the view of a new building being constructed. The present day building was designed by the Melbourne architect, George Jobbins, and was constructed by Messrs Ross and Walker between December 1886 and early 1887. The National Bank continued to operate from the building until 1975 (Heritage Study 2004)
Former Vitali’s Boot Shop.
The land on which the former Vitali’s Boot Shop is located was granted in 1860 to D. Johnston. It operated as a general store run by Lovel Langslow in the 1870s. From 1879 it operated a butcher run by Charles Langslow, the son of Lovel Langslow. By 1903 it was occupied by Roderick Morrison, a Fruiterer. In the 1920’s it operated as a fruit shop run by Alf Connell. Following WWII up until the 1980’s it functioned as a bootmakers run by Reno Vitali. (Heritage Study 2004)
Post and Telegraph Office
In 1863, Newstead’s first purpose built Post and Telegraph office was constructed. In 1910 a new Post and Telegraph office was constructed. The telegraph office closed in 1934. (Heritage Study 2004)
All Saints Newstead.
Prior to the erection of a permanent Church of England church, services were held from about 1857 in the Roads Board meeting room. In 1866 tenders were called for the construction of a church, and this was awarded to Richard Jennings. All Saints Newstead was opened in August 1868 by Ven Archdeacon A Crawford at a cost of about £450. (Newstead Heritage Walks 2016) (Heritage Study 2004)
Methodist church.
Methodism was introduced in Victoria in 1838. The Primitive Methodists (the original division of the Methodist Church associated with the extant building) held their first services in Newstead at the home of the local blacksmith, William Ibbotson. He offered the site for the church for half the price he initially paid. On the 30th day of October 1860, the Methodist chapel was opened. In the early 1900s the Newstead Methodist church commenced looking to build a new church to accommodate for the larger congregation. In 1907 tenders were called. Between April and September 1907 work commenced on the church which was capable of seating 200 people. This was at a cost of about £500. The bricks and foundation stones were recycled from the chimney of the old Johnson flour mill built in 1856. The church was opened in September 1907. (Heritage Study 2004)
Newstead Butter Factory.
The Newstead Co-operative Butter and Cheese Factory opened in 1905. On the 17th day of June 1905. the factory commenced production. The company supplied local markets as well as exporting overseas. The government freezing works classified Newstead butter ‘superfine’ and first class. In London, after the company exported 115,750 lbs, it was judged ‘very fine quality butter indeed’. By the late 1940s farmers gradually reduced their dairy herds in favour of beef cattle. By 1967 the amount of butter fat supplied was 3% less than when the factory opened. Sadly, produced ceased in 1975. (Heritage Study 2004)
Mechanics Institute.
Mechanics Institutes were established in the early years of Victoria to provide opportunities for ‘intellectual, social and moral self-improvement.’ In October 1866, the Mount Alexander Mail reported that members of the Newstead Debating and Reading Club had held a meeting to reorganise the club under the title of a Mechanics Institute. By August 1868, funds commenced to be raised for the erection of a Mechanics Institute building at Newstead. A tender of £335 from Mr. McGibbons of Castlemaine was accepted by mid-September and the construction of the building was completed within 3 months. In 1868 the Institute consisted of 400 books and numerous periodicals and newspapers. (Heritage Study 2004) (Newstead Heritage Walks 2016)
Fire Brigade.
In 1943 the Newstead Shire Council gave permission for a Fire Station to be built on the park reserve. This building housed the Urban Fire Brigade with the Rural Brigade behind. (Heritage STudy 2004)
The Shambles.
The word ‘Shambles’, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means ‘Butcher’s slaughterhouse. Charles Slee purchased this land in 1864 and operated as a butcher. The Slee family were amongst some of the earliest arrivals in the Newstead district. (Newstead Heritage Walks 2016)
Marija and I then drove from Newstead to our accommodation at Dutjiya Mang at Sandon, a beautiful little one-bedroom cottage set on a 1.8-acre property. Dutjiya Mang means ‘rest here’ in Dja Dja Wurrung.
It was getting a little dark, but I did manage to sneak in some bird photography at the Sandon accommodation.
We then enjoyed a BBQ and a few drinks.
References.
Ancestry.com.au. (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/. [Accessed 22 Mar 2024]
Marija and I left Carisbrook and headed to our next park activation for 23rd November 2023, the Maryborough Regional Park VKFF-1878.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Maryborough Regional Park. Map c/o Google Maps.
Along the way, we stopped at the Battery Dam Historic Site in the Craigie State Forest near Maryborough. The site was used to crush and process quartz from mines in the area. When old production ceased, some of the equipment used was adapted to be used for a eucalyptus distillery. (Goldfields Guide 2024)
Below is an excellent video on the Battery Dam and Distillery site.
We then drove a short distance and soon reached the Maryborough Regional Park. The park is about 270 hectares in size and is located southwest of Maryborough. About 245 native flora species have been recorded in the park. (Vic Flora 2024)
In May 2015, a prospector David Hole was searching for gold in the Maryborough Regional Park using a metal detector. He located what is referred to as the Maryborough meteorite, a 17 kg meteorite, the second largest ever to be found in Victoria. (Wikipedia 2024)
In the park is a monument to commemorate the finding of a 537-ounce gold nugget in 1858.
Marija and I set up on Centenary Track near the Centenary Reservoir.
Above:- An aerial view of the park showing our operating position. Image c/o Google Maps.
We operated with the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF. Sadly, the band conditions were extremely poor.
After leaving Bung Bong Marija and I headed to the historic town of Talbot in central Victoria. I had read that Talbot contained numerous historic buildings and I was very keen to have a look.
Before European occupation, the Talbot area was the home of the Dja Dja Wurrung (pronounced Ja-Ja-war-rung) aboriginal people.
Above:- Map showing aboriginal tribal territories and languages in Victoria. Image c/o Tirin aka Takver, Wikipedia.
In September 1836 Major Thomas Livingstone Mitchell passed through the Talbot district on his Australia Felix expedition. Upon his return to Sydney, Mitchell gave favourable reports on the suitability of the area for sheep grazing. Alexander McCallum (b. 1823. d. 1905) was the first European settler in the area. In June 1841 he established the 63,640 acre Dunach Forest pastoral run. (Aussie Towns 2024) (localista 2024)
Talbot was originally known as either Daisy Creek or the Back Creek diggings. The name was changed in 1861 following a visit by the Victorian Governor. The origin of the name is unclear. It was possibly in honour of the Talbots of Malahide Castle, Dublin or the Talbots of Shrewsbury, England. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The first historic building we encountered was the former Talbot Tollhouse, a double-storey bluestone building. (Victorian Collections 2024)
The former Talbot Wesleyan Methodist Church is located on the corner of Camp Street and Lansdowne Street. The foundation stone was laid on the 22nd day of December 1862 and the church was opened in April 1863. It replaced several temporary chapels erected close to the gold diggings. (Churches Australia 2024)
The former Dunach State School is now part of the Talbot Museum. The building was first erected in 1874 and moved to Talbot in 1974. When the building was located in Dunach it was also used for dances, engagement parties and other functions. The Dunach School building is Dunach’s last surviving public building as others were destroyed during the 1985 bushfire in the region. (Maryborough Advertiser 2023)
The former Primitive Methodist Church is located on Camp Street. It was built in 1870 and was designed and built by local builders and tradesmen. It is built of bluestone in a Romanesque design. In the early 1900’s the church closed and was later used as a clothing factory. In 1984 it became the home of the Talbot Arts and Historical Museum. (Aussie Towns 2024)
At the rear of the old Talbot Public Library, is the Talbot observatory.
The former Talbot courthouse was built in 1866. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The Talbot Post and Telegraph Office was built by the Colonial Government in stages from 1860 to 1877. Following Australia’s Federation in 1901 it was transferred to the Commonwealth Government. In 1861 the telegraph line was linked with Melbourne
Above:- the Talbot Post Office in the early 1900s. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
The Court House Hotel was built in 1860. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The former Bull & Mouth Hotel was built in 1865 by William Owen and now operates as Chesterfield House, a bed and breakfast. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The Talbot Town Hall was originally privately built in the early 1860s as an Oddfellows Hall. In 1864 publican John Medley offered the Oddfellows Hall to the Amherst Municipal Council. In 1865 the Council purchased the building for 600 pounds. In 1871 the Council added the second storey to the facade for its meeting room and library. The second storey originally included a clock and a turret but these have been removed.
There are so many historic buildings in Talbot. You could spend half a day here looking around. Even some of the privately owned buildings show signs of Talbot’s past.
The foundation stone for Saint Michael and All Angels Anglican church was laid on the 16th day of August 1870 by the Archdeacon of Castlemaine and Sandhurst. It opened for service in June 1871 and replaced an earlier church located in Argyle Street. (Churches Australia 2024)
The Shire of Talbot was proclaimed on the 31st day of October 1865. The old Shire building can be located in Talbot.
The Bank of Australasia was built in 1869.
The former Goodman’s Phoenix Hotel was built in c. 1870. Prior to the hotel, William Goodman had a billiard saloon on the site, but this burnt down in January 1869. The Goodman family ran the hotel until its closure in 1923.
The Talbot railway station was built in 1875. It is of similar architectural design to other railway stations on the Ballarat/Maryborough line such as Clunes and Creswick.
The Lyons Commercial Hotel opened in 1859. It contained 26 rooms and was the stopping place of Cobb & Co coaches. In 1962 the hotel closed and in 1991 the front two-storey section of the building was demolished. (Lost Stories of Maryborough Facebook 2024)
Talbot has a magnificent example of the London Chartered Bank, an English run bank that operated from 1852 to 1921. (NZ National Library 2024)
London House was built in 1883 by William Phelan, a well-known local building materials supplier. The building replaced an earlier London House that was built in 1860 in Scandinavian Crescent. It was destroyed by fire on the 17th day of January 1883. London House was the name of a chain of stores established in Back Creek, Inglewood and other gold rush settlements during the 1800s. The stores sold drapery, manchester, clothing, and millinery to miners.
The Talbot State School No. 954 was built in 1869.
Marija and I then visited Majorca, a small rural town about 10 km southeast of Maryborough in central Victoria. The town is located on Talbot Road which runs off Dunach-Eddington Road.
Majorca was the last of the large goldfields to be discovered in the Maryborough region. The Gibraltar diggings were found in 1858, followed by the Majorca gold field in 1863 when Charles Bannister and William Vowles (b. 1825. d. 1871) found gold on the plains east of McCallum’s Creek, northeast of Majorca in March 1863. This drew thousands of miners to the district. It is believed the name was given to the diggings due to the proximity of the Mediterranian island of Majorca to Gibraltar. (Victorian Places 2024)
Above:- Article from the Bendigo Advertiser, Wed 29 Apr 1863. Image c/o Trove.
The largest mine in the Majorca district was the Kong Meng mine. Lowe Kong Meng was born in Penang in c. 1830. In 1853 he emigrated to Australia and tried his hand at gold mining for about 3 months. Unsuccessful and disillusioned he left Australia, but by 1854 he returned to Australia and opened a business in Melbourne, importing goods for Chinese miners. By the mid-1860s, Meng was the largest single supplier of goods for Chinese miners in Victoria. (Goldfields Guide 2024)
Meng also invested money in gold mines at Majorca and Carisbrook.
Meng was a very prominent and well-regarded member of the elite society of Melbourne, and at one time was one of Melbourne’s wealthiest men. In 1863 The Argus wrote “there are reputedly few wealthier men in Victoria.”
Above:- Lowe Kong Meng. Image c/o Wikipedia.
Following the discovery of gold in 1863, the township of Majorca developed rapidly. By 1865 Majorca had a population of about 3,000 to 4,00 people. In 1863 a courthouse had opened. A Wesleyan congregation was formed that same year, and in 1864 a school opened. By 1872 there were also Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian churches. In 1866 a Mechanics Institute was opened. (Goldfields Guide 2024) (Victorian Places 2024)
Above: Majorca Main Street, c. 1866. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
Majorca was part of the Gold Escort Route, where gold was conveyed from Victoria to South Australia. Police Commissioner Alexander Tolmer led the first of 18 police escorts of about 328,509 ounces of gold. (Melbourne Playgrounds 2024)
Today little remains in Majorca which was once a thriving town with over 50 shops, stores, restaurants, several hotels, a billiard saloon, a theatre, a general store, tobacconist, draperies, timber yards and a telegraph office.
Sadly, the old Majorca store built in 1866 was destroyed by fire in 2015. (Caleb Cluff Media 2022)
Above:- The Majorca store, c. 1980. Image c/o Majorca Remembered Facebook page.
The Majorca Town Hall was built in 1876. The bluestone and render building was severely damaged by fire in 1985 but was restored to its current splendour. (Walking Maps 2024)
The former London Chartered Bank was built in 1865 and is classified by the National Trust. (Walking Maps 2024)
The former Wesleyan Methodist church was built in 1876 and is designed in Gothic style. It is now a private residence. It is the last surviving church in Majorca. (Melbourne Playgrounds 2024) (Walking Maps 2024).
The old Haberdashery and Newsagency is now a crumbling building. (Walking Maps 2024)
We have seen so many of these during our travels. What am I talking about? A Bills horse trough. Bills horse troughs were manufactured in Australia and about 700 were installed across Australia to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the 1900s. They were financed by a trust fund that was established through the will of George Bills. (Goldfields Guide 2024)
We then drove a short distance to the town of Carisbrook.
The town of Carisbrook was surveyed in 1851. The name’s origin is unclear. It has been suggested that it takes its name from ‘Carrie’s Brook’, named after Caroline Bucknall who was the daughter of an early pastoralist E.G. Bucknall. However, before the town survey, there was a police camp and lock-up named Camp Carisbrook. Other sources suggest it was named by Robert Hoddle in a memorandum he forwarded to Surveyor William Swan Uruqhart in July 1851, and that the name came from Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight. (Aussie Towns 2024) (Victorian Places 2024)
The first store at Carisbrook opened in 1853. By 1854 Carisbrook’s population was about 100 people. An Anglican church and school commenced in 1855. In 1856 local landowners Joyce and Simson opened a flour mill at Carisbrook. When the Borough of Carisbrook was proclaimed on the 7th day of August 1857, Carisbrook had several bakeries, a brewery, four hotels, brickyards and several stores. By the 1860s Carisbrook had a cricket club and a racecourse. (Aussie Towns 2024) (Victorian Places 2024)
Although no longer in use, there are remnants of the Carisbrook railway station that was on the Moolort railway line. One of the serving buildings is the old goods shed.
The old Carisbrook log gaol ‘jail’ was built in the early 1850s and served as the major gaol in the Carisbrook Police District. It was used as a gaol for low-risk offenders until about 1900. (Goldfields Guide 2024)
Several notorious bushrangers were imprisoned at the Carisbrook log gaol. This included Daniel Morgan and Frank McCallum @ Captain Melville.
Daniel Morgan was born in 1830 in Appin New South Wales. The Wagga Wagga Advertiser reported that he was “the most bloodthirsty ruffian that ever took to the bush in Australia. He had no redeeming features. Even his associates were afraid and distrustful of him.” He was the most feared bushranger in Australian history. He died in 1865 at age 34, after being shot. (Trove 2024)
Above:- Daniel Morgna. Image c/o Wikipedia.
Below is an excellent video on the life of Dan Morgan.
Francis Melville was born in 1822 in Inverness Scotland. In 1838 he was transported to Tasmania in 1838 for the offence of housebreaking. He became an infamous bushranger calling himself Captain Melville. He died in 1857 at Melbourne Gaol. (Aust Dict of Biography 2024)
Our next stop was the very impressive Carisbrook Courthouse built in 1858. The first Petty Sessions at Carisbrook was held in 18521. The new bluestone courthouse was erected in 1858 for 1,992 pounds and used as a County Court, Court of Petty Sessions, and General Sessions. All court responsibility ceased in 1925 when the building was sold to the Masonic Lodge. They removed the galleries and verandah and bricked up the windows.
The former Carisbrook Town Hall was built in 1859 and is a classical Greek Ionic style. It was designed by a local architect Toutcher. The new building boasted a hall that could hold one thousand guests..
The former Carisbook Post Office was built in 1888 of local hand-made bricks. It was used as a Post Office until 2010, before the Post Office moved to new premises. (Waymarking 2024)
Carisbrook’s first grocery store is now Caroline’s Colonial Restaurant.
The old Carisbrook Hotel is located on the corner of Bucknall Street and Green Street.
Martin Kelly built the hotel in c. 1856/1857 at a cost of £2,000. In June 1865 he fell while mounting or dismounting his horse hitting his head and died as a result. He was just 48 years of age. His father-in-law Thomas Coonan built the Shamrock (later Brittania Hotel) at Carisbrook. The Carisbrook Hotel closed on the 31st day of December 1915. (Carisbrook Historical Society Facebook 2024)
Above:- The Carisbrook Hotel in the early 1930s. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
We then visited the Tilly Aston Memorial.
Matilda Ann Aston (b. 1873. d. 1947) was a blind Australian writer and teacher. She founded the Victorian Association of Braille Writers and established the Association for the Advancement of the Blind. (Aust Dict of Biography 2024)
Below is an excellent video on the life of Tilly Aston.
We then drove to the Carisbrook Recreation Reserve where there are numerous information plaques on the history of Carisbook.
St Paul’s Anglican church was built between 1864 to 1866. However, prior to this, Anglican services had been held at Carisbrook since 1851. In 1854 church services and a school were held in the Parish Hall. In October 2015 St Paul’s was deconsecrated as a place of worship, after serving the Carisbrook community for about 149 years. (Aust Christian Church Histories 2024)
We then headed to our silo and park activation at Carisbrook.
The Carisbrook silo VK-CRK3 is operated by Southern Cross Feeds and is located on Landrigan Road on the southern side of Carisbrook.
The Carisbrook Streamside Reserve VKFF-3642 is located on the southern side of Camp Street. The sign at the park shows ‘McCallum Creek Streamside Reserve.’
The reserve is 9 hectares in size and was established on the 24th day of August 1982. (CAPAD 2022)
Above:- An aerial view showing the reserve’s boundary. Image c/o Google Earth.
We initially tried to access the park via Virginia Street, but it appeared that access would have been via private property. We knocked on the door of the house at the end of Virginia Street but nobody was at home. As we were leaving, a car approached us in the opposite direction. It turned out to be the landowner who was very friendly and allowed us access to her property. Unfortunately, after some significant investigation, we realised that we could not access the park via that point due to a culvert and very high vegetation.
We drove around to Camp Street and were also disappointed to see extremely long grass and weeds and a fence line. Our only option was to jump the fence. But, it was a warm day and we were extremely concerned about snakes, so this was to be a very quick activation. No 44 QSOs from this park.
Above:- An aerial view of the reserve. Image c/o Google Maps.
We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.
Our operating spot was within the activation zone of the silo.
Above:- the activation zone at the Carisbrook silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.
Josieg (n.d.). Majorca: Glory Days and Golden Times. [online] Walking Maps. Available at: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/937 [Accessed 21 Mar. 2024].
Following breakfast on Thursday 24th November 2023, Marija and I headed back out to the Bung Bong Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2056. We were hoping to get a few more QSOs in the log to get me over the line for qualifying the park for the global World Wide Flora Fauna program. I had only managed 28 contacts in the park during our visit a few days earlier.
Sadly the bands were terrible, as the screenshot below shows from the Hourly Area Prediction Chart (HAP). I managed to get over the line though with 18 QSOs on 40m and 20m SSB. I did try 80m but had no callers.
Our final activation for Wednesday 22nd November 2023 was the Paddys Ranges State Park VKFF-0772. The park is located about 10km south of Maryborough and about 167 km northwest of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of Paddys Ranges State Park. Map c/o Google Maps.
The Paddys Ranges State Park is about 2,014 hectares and was established on the 27th day of October 1989. (CAPAD 2022)
Above:- An aerial view of the Paddys Ranges State Park. Image c/o Google Earth.
The park owes its name to an Irish miner called Paddy who lived in the area in the 1800s. During the 1840s the Paddys Ranges area was used for grazing, gold mining, timber harvesting, eucalyptus oil and honey production. (Parks Victoria 2024)
In 1951, the Maryborough Field Naturalists Club commenced a campaign for the protection of Paddys Range’s unique Box-Ironbark forest. It would not be until 38 years later in 1989, that Paddys Ranges State Park was gazetted. (Parks Victoria 2024)
About 230 species of wildflowers have been recorded in the park. More than 140 species of birds call the park home including the rare Swift Parrot and the threatened Peregrine Falcon. Native mammals include wallabies, kangaroos, echidnas, and the threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale. (Parks Victoria 2024)
It was totally dark by the time we reached the park. This was a quick activation, operating from the 4WD. We ran the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.
After dinner on Wednesday 22nd November 2023, Marija and I headed out to the Alex Chisholm Flora Reserve VKFF-2035. The park is located on the northern edge of Maryborough, about 173 km northwest of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Alex Chisholm Flora Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
The Alex Chisholm Flora Reserve is located at the end of Franklin Street on the northern side of Maryborough in central Victoria.
Above:- An aerial view of the Alex Chisholm Flora Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.
The park is 16 hectares and was established on the 8th day of August 1978. (CAPAD 2022)
The park is named in honour of Alexander Hugh ‘Alec’ Chisholm (b. 1890. d. 1977), a journalist, ornithologist and conservationist. He was born on the 28th day of March 1890 at Maryborough. During his childhood, Chisholm claimed he was aware of nature surrounding him. Whenever possible he visited the bush and in 1907 he commenced a diary in which entries were almost entirely about birds. He became a member of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. (Aust Dict Biography 2024)
In 1915 he moved to Queensland and between 1918 to 1922 he became an honorary advisor and lecturer to the Queensland Government on natural history. From 1920 to 1922 he was the President of the Queensland Gould League of Bird Lovers. Between 1927 to 1932 he served as a trustee of the Royal National Park. In 1931 he participated in the first live broadcast of lyrebird calls on radio station 2UW. (Aust Dict Biography 2024)
Above:- Alec Chisolm in Kuring-gai Chase National Park, July 1966, with a White=eared Honeyeater on his hat. Image c/o State Library New South Wales.
Between 1937 to 1938 he was the President of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, In 1940 he was awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion. In 1958 he was awarded the O.B.E. for the Australian Encyclopedia. Between 1959 and 1961 he was the President of the Royal Australian Historical Society.(Aust Dict Biography 2024)
During his life, he was the author of hundreds of ornithological and natural history articles. When various dignitaries went bird watching, Chisholm was called upon to act as a guide. He died on the 10th day of July 1977 in Cremorne Point. (Aust Dict Biography 2024)
Above:- part of an article from the Sunraysia Daily, Sat 10 Feb 1923. Image c/o Trove.
Although about 50 minutes long, below is an excellent video worth watching on the life of Alec Chisholm.
During our activation, we spoke with David VK3UCD, a local from Maryborough. David told us that he would head out to the park to say hello which he did.
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.
Band conditions were quite good, but there were static crashes strength 9 plus on 40m.
It was getting quite late in the afternoon (Wednesday 22nd November 2023) but I wanted to visit the historic town of Bealiba. Bealiba is about 40 km northwest of Maryborough and about 208 km northwest of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of Bealiba in Victoria. Map c/o Google Maps.
The first European to settle in the area was George Coutts in 1845. Coutts was born in January 1814 in Aberdeenshire Scotland and married Mary Peggie in 1834. They emigrated to Australia in 1841 and first settled at Moonee Ponds before moving to Bealiba. (Ancestry.com.au 2024) (Visit Maryborough 2005)
The Bealiba district was first known as Cochran’s after brothers John Cochran and James Cochran (b. 1827. d. 1906) who emigrated to Australia in the 1840s. In 1853 took up a pastoral run in the area. Gold was discovered in 1855 to 1856 and the area was known as Cochrane’s DIggings. When the town was surveyed and laid out it took on the name of Bealiiba after the Bealiba pastoral run. The name was later changed to Bealiba. It is believed that Bealiba comes from two aboriginal words, Bea meaning red gum and ba meaning creek. (Ancestry.com.au) (Visit Maryborough 2005)(Victorian Places 2024)
Above:- James Cochran. Image c/o Trove.
The town contains several historic buildings including the hotel built in 1857.
A school was opened in 1865. Bealiba also had a post office, a petty sessions court, three hotels and three quartz-crushing mills. In 1871 Bealiba’s population was 388 people. In 1878 the railway line from Dunolly to St Arnaud via Bealiba was opened. (Victorian Places 2024)
Following the extension of the railway line, a wooden railway station was built at Bealiba in 1878 by J. Sullivan at a cost of 574 pounds. The station includes offices and a residence for the Station Master. Other examples of these wooden stations included Cope Cope and Charlton which are now demolished. It was thought that the same fate may fall for the Bealiba railway station, but it was restored. (Stations Past 2024)
Marija and I decided to undertake a quick activation of the Bealiba silo for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program. The silo can be located on Park Lane.
We parked right alongside the silo and operated from the 4WD, running the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5-metre stainless steel whip.
We then drove back to Maryborough where we enjoyed a very nice meal at the Bull and Mouth Hotel.
References.
Ancestry.com.au. (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2024]
VK5PAS 