Our next activation for Tuesday, 29th October 2024, was the Junortoun Bushland Reserve VKFF-5182. The park is located about 8 km east of Bendigo.
Before European occupation, the Junortoun district was home to the Dja Dja Wurrung Aboriginal people.
In February 1855, Charles Boyle acquired allotments in section 15 of Strathfieldsaye parish. His property was called Homebush. (Tripod.com, 2025)
The settlement was centred around Homebush Estate, a property of about 2,000 acres owned by the Lazarus family, which extended along the valley of Splitters Creek. The homestead was situated about 5 1/2 miles from Bendigo on the current McIvor Highway. (Junortoun Community Action Group, 2018) (Tripod.com, 2025) (Victorianplaces.com.au, 2015)
There were two hotels in the district, the Homebush Hotel and the Farmers Arms Hotel, built in 1896. The Farmers Arms Hotel was destroyed by fire in February 2009. (Tripod.com, 2025) (Victorianplaces.com.au, 2015)
Up until the early 1970s, the homestead was the receiving Post Office for the district. During the early 1900s, there were several complaints regarding mail being redirected to Homebush in New South Wales. This resulted in the Postal Authorities deeming that a name change was necessary. (Tripod.com, 2025)
Meetings of local residents subsequently took place, and name suggestions were proposed. The owner of Homebush, Mr. Samuel Lazarus, proposed that the name be ‘Junor’ after his wife Mary’s maiden name. However, the authorities declined this name because it was too similar to Junee in New South Wales. (Tripod.com, 2025)
Above:- Mary Isabella Lazarus, nee Junor. Image c/o ancestry.com.au
The suffix of ‘toun’ was subsequently added to ‘Junor’, and this was submitted and accepted as the new name. (Junortoun Community Action Group, 2018)
Above:- Article from The Bendigo Independent, Tue 28 Nov 1916. Image c/o Trove.
The reserve is located on the southern side of McIvor Highway at the junction with Wilkie Road.
When we arrived at the park, this is what we were faced with. Power lines were running through a very heavily wooded park. We were really concerned that there would be significant noise in this park.
The Junorton Bushland Reserve is about 2 hectares in size and was established on the 3rd day of August 2006. (CAPAD 2022)
For this activation, we ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. Fortunately, the 40m band had only a crackly noise floor of strength 2.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-0420)
- VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0420)
- VK3WSG
- VK5TN
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK5WU
- VK3BEL
- VK2SLB
- VK2BRN
- VK2KBT
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-0420)
- VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0420)
- VK3WSG
- VK5TN
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK5WU
- VK3BEL
- VK2SLB
- VK2BRN
- VK2KBT
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK2TM
- VK4DNO
- VK3DNO
- VK2HRX
- VK5UV
- VK3MCA
- VK3GJG
- VK5HS
- VK5PE
- VK4HAT
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
- VK2LEE
- VK2YK
- VK5GA
- VK7MAT
- VK3APJ
- VK2ABM
- VK3CEO
- VK3DL
- VK3SO
- VK3SFG
- VK3ZZS
- VK4EHI
- VK2BHO
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- IW2BNA
- IK4IDF
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 2 May. 2025].
- Junortoun Community Action Group. (2018). History of Junortoun. [online] Available at: https://www.junortoun.vic.au/about-junortoun/history/ [Accessed 2 May 2025].
- Tripod.com. (2025). Junortoun. [online] Available at: https://megj42.tripod.com/id9.html [Accessed 2 May 2025].
- Victorianplaces.com.au. (2015). Junortoun | Victorian Places. [online] Available at: https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/junortoun [Accessed 2 May 2025].
- Wikipedia Contributors (2025). Junortoun. Wikipedia.
VK5PAS 