On Sunday, 27th October 2024, we attended the next stage of the 2024 VKFF National Get Together in Bendigo, Victoria. That was a morning breakfast at the clubrooms of the Bendigo Amateur Radio & Electronics Club.
Following breakfast, everybody headed off for the final stage of the event, a series of park activations around the district.
Marija and I headed to Pilchers Bridge Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2176, which is located about 26 km south of Bendigo.
Above:- Map showing the location of Pilchers Bridge NCR. Map c/o Google Maps.
Pilcher’s Bridge is divided into a number of separate sections of protected land. The park is about 2,243 hectares in size and was established on the 24th day of August 1982. It was originally known as Lyell Forest. (CAPAD 2022) (AllTrails.com, 2025)
Above:- An aerial view of Pilchers Bridge NCR. Image c/o Google Earth.
The park is named in honour of the Pilcher family who lived in the district. The first to settle in the area was Stephen Pilcher in the 1880s. He was born in 1832 in Kent, England and emigrated to Australia in 1854. (ancestry 2016) (Heritage Vic 2017)
Above:- the headstone of Stephen Pilcher. Image c/o ancestry.com.au
Gold was discovered in the area at Myrtle Creek during the late 1880s.
Above:- Part of an article from the Bendigo Advertiser, Wed 6 Aug 1884. Image c/o Trove
Pilchers Bridge Nature Conservation Reserve is a Box-Ironbark forest dominated by red ironbark, red stringybark, red box, grey box, and yellow gum. This entire area was cleared during the 1930s for timber and gold mining activities. (Harcourt.vic.au 2024)
We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK5LA/P (VKFF-4992)
- VK5KAW/P (VKFF-4992)
- VK3PF/P (VKFF-4589)
- VK3OAK/P (VKFF-2230)
- VK3GUM/P (VKFF-2230)
- VK3TKK/P (VKFF-5638)
- VK5QA/P
- VK3CLD/P
- VK2DBF/P
- VK3VIN
- VK3CEO
- VK3LF/P (VKFF-0624)
- VK3YV/P (VKFF-0623)
- VK1DI/P (VKFF-0960)
- VK3DCQ/P (VKFF-3818)
- VK1CHW/P (VKFF-2073)
- VK2IO/P (VKFF-3913)
- VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-3913)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK5LA/P (VKFF-4992)
- VK5KAW/P (VKFF-4992)
- VK3PF/P (VKFF-4589)
- VK3OAK/P (VKFF-2230)
- VK3GUM/P (VKFF-2230)
- VK3TKK/P (VKFF-5638)
- VK5QA/P
- VK3CLD/P
- VK2DBF/P
- VK3VIN
- VK3CEO
- VK3LF/P (VKFF-0624)
- VK3YV/P (VKFF-0623)
- VK7ALH
- VK7LH
- VK3WSG
- VK1DI/P (VKFF-0960)
- VK3DCQ/P (VKFF-3818)
- VK1AD
- VK1NAM
- VK3MIJ
- VK5PE
- VK2SLB
- VK2BRN
- VK2KBT
- VK2VAR
- VK2GOM
- VK1CHW/P (VKFF-2073)
- VK7MAD
- VK3HBG
- VK7XX
- VK3APJ
- VK7PJM
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK7MAT
- VK2TH
- VK3MGM
- VK3FQSO
- VK2IO/P (VKFF-3913)
- VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-3913)
- VK5DW
- VK3TDX
- VK7DW
- VK3BZF
- VK3USA
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK4SMA
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK4EMP
- VK4TI
- VK4GKO
References.
- AllTrails.com. (2025). Best trails in Pilchers Bridge Nature Conservation Reserve. [online] Available at: https://www.alltrails.com/parks/australia/victoria/pilchers-bridge-nature-conservation-reserve [Accessed 3 Apr. 2025].
- ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025]
- 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 3 Apr. 2025.
- Harcourt.vic.au. (2024). Pilchers Bridge – Harcourt Valley. [online] Available at: https://harcourt.vic.au/pilchers-bridge-flora-fauna-reserve/ [Accessed 3 Apr. 2025].
- Heritage (2017). Heritage. [online] Heritage. Available at: https://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/. [Accessed 3 Apr. 2025].
VK5PAS 