My next activation for Tuesday 20th August 2024 was the Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2353. The reserve is located about 30 km east of Ouyen in northwest Victoria.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
This park is not to be confused with the Kulwin Flora Reserve VKFF-2353 which is located on Boland Road.
I travelled east along the Mallee Highway and soon reached the area of Kulwin. Kulwin is an aboriginal word meaning throwing stick. (Black 1978)
The Kulwin Post Office opened on the 16th day of August 1920 following the arrival of the railway. The Post office closed in 1974. The Kulwin State School (No. 4375) opened in the Kulwin Soldiers’ Hall on the 8th day of January 1929. In April 1933 a standalone building, formerly at Nowingi State School, was re-erected and occupied. In 1934 an additional workroom was erected by parents in 1934. The school closed in 1950, with the building being removed to the Robinvale Consolidated School. (Wikipedia 2024)
Above:- Plan of the town of Kulwin. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
Kulwin once had a hall that held dances and other functions. Kulwin also had its own cricket team and football team.
Above:- An article from the Ouyen Mail, Wed 25 May 1927. Image c/o Trove.
Today little remains at Kulwin. I visited the site of the old tennis courts which today are in a state of disrepair and covered with weeds.
The Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve is located on the northern and southern sides of the Mallee Highway.
Above:- An aerial view of the Kulwin Flora & Fauna Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.
The reserve is about 170 hectares in size and was established on the 1st day of May 1979. (CAPAD 2022)
I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK7XX
- VK2IO
- VK2GEZ
- ZL3MR
- VK5QA/4
- VK3CLD/4
- VK6DS/p (Westralia Conservation Park VKFF-1442)
- F5PYI
- UT5PI
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK7AAE
- F1BLL
- DL2ND
- SQ9CWO
- OH1MM
- OH2CGU
- VK4HNS
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2LQ/p (Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area VKFF-1353)
- VK3PF/m
- VK2KA
- VK2EXA
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
- VK5FANA
- VK3CA
- VK3APJ
- VK2SLB
- VK2KBT
- VK2BRN
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK3NBL
- VK2IO
- VK2GEZ
- VK3SO
- VK3SFG
- VK3TV
- VK3HJW
- VK3CEO
- VK3CJN
- VK3QHU
- VK3ZPF
- VK3JW
- VK5NHG
- VK3UAO
- VK5WU
- VK5MSA
- VK5GY
- VK3MGM
- VK3BCM/p (SOTA VK3/ VN-007)
- VK3PXS/p (SOTA VK3/ VN-007)
- VK5IS
References.
- 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 7 Nov. 2024].
- Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
- Wikipedia Contributors (2023). Kulwin, Victoria. Wikipedia. [Accessed 7 Nov. 2024].
VK5PAS 