Daily Archives: January 6, 2025

Bangerang I101 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4539

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Our next activation for Wednesday 23rd October 2024 was the Bangerang I101 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4539.

The reserve is located about 15 km east of Warracknabeal and about 328 km northwest of the city of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Bangerang I101 Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

Before activating Bangerang I101 Bushland Reserve, we drove past the Kellalac Bushland Reserve to see if access was possible. However, after viewing the park on MapshareVic we found that the land was leased and we could not see a nearby farmhouse.

Above:- View of the Kellalac Bushland Reserve.

We then stopped briefly to look at the site of the old Challambra School which operated from 1882 to 1913. Challambra is derived from an aboriginal word allambee meaning to sit or recline. (Blake 1978)

The Bangerang I101 Bushland Reserve also showed as being leased on MapshareVic. However, we could see a nearby farmhouse so we decided to try our luck. Marija spoke with the extremely friendly landowner who allowed us access to the reserve.

Access to the reserve is via a dirt track running off the southern side of Borung Highway. The Highway is named after the Boorung aboriginal people. (Wikipedia 2024)

Above:- An aerial view of the Bangerang I101 Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is about 7 hectares in size and was established on the 22nd day of September 1987. Bangerang is derived from the aboriginal words barn meaning bullock and gerang meaning leaf or branch. (Blake 1978) (CAPAD 2022)

We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.

It was a pleasure to get Phillip in the log on 40m. It was Phillip’s first HF contact.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3SQ
  2. VK2BD
  3. VK5CZ
  4. VK5HS
  5. VK5NHG
  6. VK3CEO
  7. VK3APJ
  8. VK3MGM
  9. VK3NCR
  10. VK3AMO

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3SQ
  2. VK2BD
  3. VK5CZ
  4. VK5HS
  5. VK5NHG
  6. VK3CEO
  7. VK3APJ
  8. VK3MGM
  9. VK3NCR
  10. VK3AMO
  11. VK2AGU
  12. VK3KRL
  13. VK1AO
  14. VK2MET
  15. VK5WU
  16. VK3BFT
  17. VK2KYO
  18. VK7KT
  19. VK3ACR
  20. VK2IO/M
  21. VK2GEZ/M
  22. VK3LRO
  23. VK3PWG
  24. VK3TTK
  25. VK2SLB
  26. VK2BRN
  27. VK2KBT
  28. VK3ZSC
  29. VK5PE
  30. VK7XX
  31. VK5DW
  32. VK5QA
  33. VK5TN
  34. VK3DL
  35. VK5NOU

I worked the following station on 40m AM:-

  1. VK5DW

I worked the following stations on 40m FT8:-

  1. VK5LA
  2. VK3CEO
  3. VK3APJ
  4. VK1AD
  5. VK1NAM

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK2VW
  2. VK2HFI
  3. VK2AKA
  4. VK2BUG
  5. VK5HS

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 7 Jan. 2025].‌
  2. Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
  3. Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Borung Highway. Wikipedia.‌

Bangerang I102 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4540

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Our first activation for Wednesday 23rd October 2024 was the Bangerang I102 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4540.

The reserve is located about 15 km east of Warracknabeal and about 328 km northwest of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Bangerang I102 Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

Along the way, we saw several farmers out in their fields spraying their crops.

Bangerang is derived from the aboriginal words barn meaning bullock, and gerang meaning leaf or branch. (Blake 1978)

The township of Bangerang once had a Mutual Improvement Association, a Red Cross Society branch and a primary school Local Bangerang residents could join the Rifle Club, Cricket club or go to the public library. (Trove 2025)

Above:- Article from The Horsham Times, Fri 19 Sept 1884. Image c/o Trove.

The Bangerang I102 Bushland Reserve is located at the corner of Sheep Hills-Bangerang Road and Vollprecht Road.

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

The reserve is only small, about 2 hectares in size. It was established on the 22nd day of September 1987. (CAPAAD 2022)

The reserve is surrounded by land cleared for cropping.

This was an easy park to access. Marija and I drove in and set up as there were no fences. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK2IO
  4. VK2GEZ
  5. VK3CJN
  6. VK3QHU
  7. VK3DAC
  8. VK4FE/P
  9. VK1AO
  10. VK2MET
  11. VK3CEO
  12. VK3ZSC
  13. VK3NDG
  14. VK3FACD
  15. VK3BTP
  16. VK3NVY
  17. VK2VW
  18. VK2HFI
  19. VK2AKA
  20. VK2BUG
  21. VK3HJW
  22. VK2AJG/P
  23. VK3BEL
  24. VK5ZL
  25. VK3APJ
  26. VK2SLB
  27. VK2BRN
  28. VK2KBT
  29. VK5PE
  30. VK3MGM
  31. VK3TDX
  32. VK3FG

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-

  1. VK3NDG/P (VKFF-1877)
  2. VK3PF
  3. VK3KAI
  4. VK3GJG
  5. VK3SQ
  6. VK2BD
  7. VK1AO
  8. VK2MET
  9. VK2VW
  10. VK2HFI
  11. VK2AKA
  12. VK2BUG
  13. VK3TZT
  14. VK3DL
  15. VK3HJW
  16. VK3VIN
  17. VK3DAC
  18. VK4FE/P
  19. VK5WU
  20. VK3CEO

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK2VW
  2. VK2HFI
  3. VK2AKA
  4. VK2BUG
  5. VK4EMP
  6. VK4TI
  7. VK4GKO
  8. VK1AO
  9. VK2MET

    I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

    1. VK3PF
    2. VK3KAI
    3. VK2IO
    4. VK2GEZ
    5. VK3CJN
    6. VK3QHU
    7. VK3DAC
    8. VK4FE/P
    9. VK1AO
    10. VK2MET
    11. VK3CEO
    12. VK3ZSC
    13. VK3NDG
    14. VK3FACD
    15. VK3BTP
    16. VK3NVY
    17. VK2VW
    18. VK2HFI
    19. VK2AKA
    20. VK2BUG
    21. VK3HJW
    22. VK2AJG/P
    23. VK3BEL
    24. VK5ZL
    25. VK3APJ
    26. VK2SLB
    27. VK2BRN
    28. VK2KBT
    29. VK5PE
    30. VK3MGM
    31. VK3TDX
    32. VK3FG
    33. VK3NDG/P (VKFF-1877)

    I worked the following stations on 40m FT8:-

    1. VK3CEO
    2. VK3APJ
    3. VK3PF
    4. VK3PRG
    5. VK3KAI
    6. VK1TTY
    7. VK3DL
    8. VK1AO
    9. VK1AD
    10. VK2MET
    11. VK1NAM

    I worked the following stations on 20m FT8

    1. VK1AO
    2. VK4EMP
    3. VK4TI
    4. VK2MET
    5. VK4GKO

    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 6 Jan. 2025].‌
    2. Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
    3. Trove. (2025). BANGERANG. – The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954) – 19 Sep 1884. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72952903?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FH%2Ftitle%2F225%2F188%2F1884%2F09%2F19%2Fpage%2F7084259%2Farticle%2F72952903 [Accessed 6 Jan. 2025].‌
    4. Trove. (2025). Bangerang, – Minyip Guardian and Sheep Hills Advocate (Vic. : 1915 – 1918) – 31 Oct 1916. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154363534?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FM%2Ftitle%2F788%2F191%2F1916%2F10%2F31%2Fpage%2F17862835%2Farticle%2F154363534 [Accessed 6 Jan. 2025].
    5. ‌Trove. (2025). Bangerang. – Minyip Guardian and Sheep Hills Advocate (Vic. : 1915 – 1918) – 24 Aug 1915. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154364361?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FM%2Ftitle%2F788%2F191%2F1915%2F08%2F24%2Fpage%2F17862428%2Farticle%2F154364361 [Accessed 6 Jan. 2025].‌