Daily Archives: January 9, 2025

Crymelon Bushland Reserve VKFF-4863

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Our next activation for Wednesday 23rd October 2024 was the Crymelon Bushland Reserve VKFF-4863.

The reserve is located about 18 km northwest of Warracknabeal and about 355 km northwest of the city of Melbourne.

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

Prior to heading to the park, Marija and I took a stroll along Yarriambiack Creek in Warracknabeal.

The Yarriambiack Creek is a distributary of the Wimmera River. The creek leaves the Wimmera River near Drug Drung, about 20km east of Horsham, and then flows northward through Warracknabeal and empties into Lake Coorong near Hopetoun. Its name is believed to derive from Jarambuik, the name of a sub-group of the indigenous Wotjobaluk people. It was also once spelt Yarriambiac, Yarramberger and Yarrambeak. (Wikipedia 2023)

On the creek’s edge at Warracknabeal is the site of the Warracknabeal East Station, the first permanent structure built in the district.

Nearby is a monument to commemorate the Scott Brothers, who established the first permanent settlement in the district in 1845.

Marija and I then headed towards Crymelon. We stopped to have a look at the site of the old Crymelon Baptist Church that operated from 1900 to 1968.

Crymelon was described as ‘an important Baptist stronghold’. (Trove 2025)

Above:- Article from The Horsham Times, Fri 5 Feb 1909. Image c/o Trove.

The reserve is located on the corner of Rainbow Road and Jeparit-Warracknabeal Road.

Above:- Aerial view of the Crymelon Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is about 8 hectares in size and was established on the 22nd day of September 1987. (CAPAD 2022)

This was an easy park to access. It had no fences and there was a 4WD drive which we drove along. Marija and I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3SQ
  2. VK2BD
  3. VK5CZ
  4. VK2VW
  5. VK2HFI
  6. VK2AKA
  7. VK2BUG
  8. VK3NDG
  9. VK3FACD
  10. VK3BTP
  11. VK3NVY
  12. VK2IO/p (SOTA VK2/ ST-053 & VKFF-1971)
  13. VK2GEZ/p (SOTA VK2/ ST-053 & VKFF-1971)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3SQ
  2. VK2BD
  3. VK5CZ
  4. VK2VW
  5. VK2HFI
  6. VK2AKA
  7. VK2BUG
  8. VK3NDG
  9. VK3FACD
  10. VK3BTP
  11. VK3NVY
  12. VK3CEO
  13. VK1AO
  14. VK2MET
  15. VK3YV
  16. VK3VIN
  17. VK2HAK
  18. VK3APJ
  19. VK3MGM
  20. VK5DW
  21. VK5QA
  22. VK1AD
  23. VK1NAM
  24. VK3AMO
  25. VK3BEL
  26. VK3WSG
  27. VK3DL
  28. VK3GJG
  29. VK5WU
  30. VK5HS
  31. VK2SLB
  32. VK2BRN
  33. VK2KBT
  34. VK3UAO
  35. VK3KRL
  36. VK3HJW
  37. VK2IO/p (SOTA VK2/ ST-053 & VKFF-1971)
  38. VK2GEZ/p (SOTA VK2/ ST-053 & VKFF-1971)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK5HS
  2. VK4EMP
  3. VK4TI
  4. VK4GKO
  5. KG5CIK
  6. VK1AO
  7. VK2MET

I worked the following stations on 20m FT8:-

  1. IK2WRV
  2. F5IYE
  3. VK4EMP
  4. VK4TI
  5. VK4GKO
  6. PI4DX
  7. OP7B
  8. VK1AO
  9. M6JAY

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 9 Jan. 2025].‌
  2. Trove. (2025). A Record Church Offering – The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954) – 5 Feb 1909. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72826335?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FH%2Ftitle%2F225%2F190%2F1909%2F02%2F05%2Fpage%2F7080460%2Farticle%2F72826335 [Accessed 9 Jan. 2025].
  3. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2023). Yarriambiack Creek. Wikipedia.‌