After leaving Port Lincoln on Wednesday 24th April 2024, I headed north along the Lincoln Highway to my first park activation of the day, the Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park VKFF-1746.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park. Map c/o Google Maps.
Prior to reaching Tumby Bay, I had a quick look at North Shields, about 11 km north of Port Lincoln.
North Shields was a 1907 subdivision of sections 189 and 387, Hundred of Louth, By George D. Dorward. He was born in 1842 and arrived in Australia in 1863 aboard the Seashell. (Place Names 2012)
Above:- Mr George Dorward of “Clifton”, North Shields, and his daughter Mrs Hage with her children in a dog cart. Image co State Library South Australia.
The North Shields Post Office opened in 1908 and this was followed by North Shields School in 1911. The school closed in 1970. The town’s jetty opened on the 12th day of November 1906. Two historic buildings that remain are the Wheatsheaf Hotel and the Soldiers Memorial Hall. (Place Names 2012)
I then stopped at The Black Stump monument. It marks the lands of the former Poonindie Mission Station that operated from 1850-1896. It stands as a tribute to the pioneers of the district. The former ‘Black Stump’ was damaged by the bushfire in January 2005 and was replaced by a piece of fireproof black rock in 2006.
Poonindie was established in 1850 by Adelaide Archdeacon Matthew Hale. It was used as a ‘training institution’ for young Aboriginal families. They were expected to live a Christian lifestyle and learn domestic and agricultural skills. (Aboriginal Missions 2024)
The Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park spans waters from just north of Bergs Beach to Point Bolingbroke and includes the islands of the Sir Joseph Banks Group and Dangerous Reef. (Management Plan 2012)
Above:- Map showing the boundaries of the Marine Park. Map c/o WEWNR.
The park takes its name from Sir Joseph Banks. He was born in 1743 in London England. Banks was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. (Wikipedia 2024)
Below is an excellent short video on the life of Sir Joseph Banks narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
The park is 2,627 km2 and is adjacent to Tumby Bay. It overlays two other protected areas, the Tumby Island Conservation Park and the Sir Joseph Banks Group Conservation Park. Dangerous Reef hosts one of the largest breeding colonies of Australian sea lions in the world. Pregnant female White Pointer sharks are often found in these waters, most likely due to the high sea lion population. (Management Plan 2012)
I drove down to the end of Harvey Drive and set up on a 4WD track leading to the beach. I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK5MAZ
- VK5GY
- VK5HS
- VK5IS
- VK3BEL
- VK5AAF
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
- VK5WE
- VK5MK
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
I worked the following stations on 40m FT8:-
- VK3PF
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
- VK3KAI
- VK3APJ
- VK2IO
- VK7XX
- VK3UAO
- VK5MK
I worked the following stations on 20m FT8:-
- VK3PF
- VK3CEO
- VK1AO
- VK7XX
- VK3KAI
- VK5MK
- VK3APJ
- VK2MET
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
- VK4EMP
- VK4MUD
- VK4TI
- VK2IO
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK4NH
- VK4DXA
- VK5MAZ
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
- VK3TX
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- Vk2BUG
- VK2IO
- VK5DW
- VK7ZA
- VK3APJ
- VK3MAP
- VK3CEO
- VK7EE
- VK3SO
- VK3SFG
- UT5PI
References.
- Department of Environment Water & Natural Resources, 2012, Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park Management Plan
- Russell, S. (n.d.). LibGuides: Aboriginal missions in South Australia: Poonindie. [online] guides.slsa.sa.gov.au. Available at: https://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/Aboriginal_Missions/Poonindie. [Accessed 12 Aug. 2024].
- Wikipedia. (2020). Joseph Banks. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Banks.[Accessed 12 Aug. 2024].
VK5PAS 