My next activation for ANZAC Day, 25th April 2024, was the Hinks Wilderness Protection Area VKFF-1715. The park is located on the Eyre Peninsula.
This was one of those parks, that had I not activated it and researched it, I probably would not have learnt about the remarkable man that the park is named in honour of.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Hincks Wilderness Protection Area. Map c/o Google Maps.
The Hundred of Hincks in the County of Jervois was proclaimed on the 31st day of October 1957. It was named in honour of Sir Cecil Stephen Hincks, an Australian politician who was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly. He was Minister of Lands, Irrigation and Repatriation in Thomas Playford’s government. Hincks was born in February 1894 in Maitland, South Australia. In 1914 he was considered to try out for the Port Adelaide Football Club, but this was cancelled due to the outbreak of the First World War. (Place Names 2012) (Wikipedia 2024)
Above:- Cecil Hincks. Image c/o State Library SA
Hincks served with the 10th Battalion in the Gallipoli campaign, landing at Anzac Cove on 25th April 1915. After developing influenza and an intestinal disease he was evacuated to Mudros and admitted to hospital. About one year later he was discharged from hospital and returned to rejoin his unit on the Western Front. (Wikipedia 2024)
In 1917 at the Battle of Lagnicourt, Hincks received gunshot wounds to his legs and chest. He was evacuated to England. His injured leg was amputated. (Wikipedia 2024)
During the Second World War, he served as an Australian Army recruiting officer. (Wikipedia 2024)
Upon his discharge from the Australian Army, Hincks worked for the Wheat Harvest Board. He then set up his own grain and insurance management business and set up a farm. Hincks was a member of several charitable organisations and a State Councillor in the Returned Sailors Soldiers (and Airmens ) Imperial League (RSL).
In August 1941 at the South Australian State election, Hincks was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly and represented the electoral district of Yorke Peninsula for the Liberal and Country League. In 1946 he was assigned the portfolio Minister of Lands, Irrigation and Repatriation.
He was made a Knight Bachelor in January 1960 for service as Minister of Lands and Repatriation in South Australia. Hincks died from cancer on the 1st day of January 1963. (Wikipedia 2024)
Above:- Sir Cecil Stephen Hincks. Image c/o Wikipedia.
The Hincks Wilderness Protection Area is 16,471 acres in size and was proclaimed under the Wilderness Protection Act 1992 on the 30th day of September 2004 on land excised from the Hincks Conservation Park. The land was originally set aside as a Flora & Fauna Reserve in 1941. (Wikipedia 2024)
Above:- An aerial view of the park. Image c/o Google Maps.
The Hincks Wilderness Protection Area is one of the largest expanses of Mallee on the Eyre Peninsula. About 420 species of native plants have been recorded in the park, including 28 orchids. Of the 420 species, 91 (including four species of orchid) had not previously been recorded on any other reserve in South Australia. The wilderness protection area is dominated by Mallee, with a small portion covered by forest, woodland, or shrubland. (Wikipedia 2024)
Above:- An aerial view of the park showing its boundaries.
I accessed the park via its eastern side. I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.
I made a total of 100 QSOs including quite a bit of DX.
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK7XX
- VK3UAO
- VK5MAZ
- AX5MAZ
- VK4EW
- AX4EW
- OH1MM
- ON3YB
- VK4NH
- VK4DXA
- AX4NH
- AX4DXA
- ON4VT
- OH1XT
- VK3PWG
- VK3ZPF
- VK2IO
- VK3DL
- VK3EJ
- IZ5JMZ
- VK3VIN
- AX3PF/p (Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2464)
- ZL1TM
- UT5PI
- IK1GPG
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK3CEO
- VK3GJG
- VK3SPG
- AX7MAD
- AX5HS
- VK4MUD
- VK3APJ
- SQ2WKQ
- F1BLL
- S52KM
- PH9HB
- OH2LIO
- OG7J
- IW2BNA
- OH2CGU
- EA5JMN
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- AX1AO
- AX2MET
- VK4CZ
- VK3CWF
- VK3PI
- VK3SQ
- VK2BD
- KG5CIK
- IU3GKJ
- VK2HAK
- VK3SO
- VK3SFG
- VK2USH
- SQ9CWO
- VK4EMP
- VK4TI
- IZ2ZPT
- AX3ACZ
- DJ1SD
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK5MAZ
- AX5MAZ
- AX3PF/p (Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2464)
- VK3ZPF
- VK5HS
- AX5HS
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- AX1AO
- AX2MET
- VK4EMP
- VK4TI
- AX7MAD
- VK4NH
- VK4DXA
- AX4NH
- AX4DXA
- VK2MO
- AX2MOE
- AX5FANA
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
- VK3BBB
- VK2CCP
- VK3APJ
- VK2HAK
- VK5DOG
- VK2IO
- VK3PI
- VK5TUX
- VK3EJ
- VK3DCQ
- VK4SMA
- VK2GMC/1
- VK7MAT/p
- VK2DG
References.
- Wikipedia Contributors (2023). Cecil Hincks. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Hincks [Accessed 15 Aug. 2024].
VK5PAS 