Our third park activation for Saturday, 23rd November 2024, was the Roachdale Reserve VKFF-4052. The park is located about 38 km northeast of the city of Adelaide.
Above:- Map showing the location of Roachdale Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
We then stopped at Chain of Ponds and the historic Philpton cemetery. Some mongrel had stolen the plaque outside the cemetery which listed those who were buried here.
We continued on to the Roachdale Reserve, which is located on the corner of South Para Road and Wattle Road.
Above:- An aerial view of Roachdale Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.
Roachdale Reserve was the first property to be donated to the National Trust of South Australia. Miss Hilda Roach donated 45 hectares of Humbug Scrub in 1957. It was later named Roachdale. (National Trust, 2025)
Hilda was born on the 11th day of October 1885 at Burra, South Australia. She never married. Hilda died on the 26th day of September 1970 at Kersbrook, South Australia. Hilda is buried in the family plot at the North Road cemetery, Nailsworth, South Australia; however, her name is not inscribed on the headstone. (Ancestry.com.au 2021) (Findagrave.com 2025)
Roachdale Reserve protects one of the few remaining stands of Long-leafed Box forest, and during spring and summer, the park has magnificent displays of wildflowers, orchids and lilies. The majority of the land in the vicinity of the park has been cleared for agriculture. About 225 native plants have been recorded in the park, including 32 of conservation significance. (National Trust, 2025)
This was a difficult park to activate due to the very thick scrub and lack of any clearing. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole, which had the 80m sections lying on the ground.
We qualified the park for VKFF with 10 contacts, but we had to pack up due to rain.
Our second park for Saturday, 23rd November 2024, was the Lenswood Centennial Park VKFF-4040. The park is located about 28 km east of Adelaide.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Lenswood Centennial Park. Map c/o Google Maps.
The park is located on the northern side of Lobethal Road at Lenswood.
Above:- An aerial view of the Lenswood Centennial Park. Image c/o Google Earth.
Prior to 1917, Lenswood was known as Jerry’s Flat, which was surveyed in 1850. Lenswood was named in 1917 after a World War One battlefield near the town of Lens in northwest France. (Wikipedia 2018)
The site of Jerry’s Flat School, the original public school for the area, can be found just outside of Lenswood.
The Lenswood Cold Stores Co-operative Society was established in 1933.
The park is about 17 hectares in size and was established on the 26th day of June 1991. (CAPAD 2022)
Prior to European occupation, the Peramangk Aboriginal people occupied the Lenswood area.
If you take the time to walk across the bridge over what is known as Cock Wash, you will be rewarded with some amazing bushland and a Heritage Trail featuring a series of interpretive signs and life size silhouettes.
This is certainly a very pretty park.
This is an easy walk that takes about 20 minutes. Some of the interpretive signs relate to the gold panner, the timber cutter, and the Charcoal burner.
We set up on a wooden table and benches in the park. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.
It started spitting with rain midway during our activation, so we had to deploy the bothy bag.
The weekend of Saturday 23rd November and Sunday 24th November 2024 was the annual VKFF Activation Weekend. After our big road trip to Bendigo in October, we decided to activate some parks close to home.
Our first park for Saturday was the Malcolm Wicks Reserve VKFF-4043. The reserve is located in the Mount Lofty Ranges ‘Adelaide Hills’, about 26 km east of the city of Adelaide.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Malcom Wicks Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
Our drive took us through beautiful countryside in the Adelaide Hills, including the apple, pear, and cherry-producing area of Lenswood.
The Malcolm Wicks Reserve is located on the southern side of Leslie Road, Lenswood.
Above:- An aerial view of the Malcom Wicks Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.
The park is signposted on Leslie Road. There is an old shed with a green door, and alongside that is a gate that leads into the park. There is no vehicular access; it is pedestrian only.
Malcolm Wicks Reserve is an excellent example of Stringybark Open Forest in the high rainfall area of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is about 8 hectares in size and comprises undulating land. (National Trust, 2025)
Malcolm Wicks Reserve was donated to the National Trust of SA by Mr & Mrs M. Wicks and Mr & Mrs G. Nancarrow in 1979. The National Trust is a worldwide membership organisation that cares for natural and built heritage. (National Trust, 2025)
Malcolm Norman (Norman) Wicks OBE was born on the 15th day of May 1920 at College Town (Adelaide). His parents were Hubert Norman David Wicks and Vera June Wicks, nee James.
Malcom’s grandfather was Henry Wicks, who was born in 1854 in Berkshire, England. He emigrated to Australia in 1882 and married Emma Jane Pitt in 1884. Henry worked for Emma’s uncle Charles Pitt at a nursery at Felixstow (I grew up there as a child, not far from Wicks Avenue). In 1905, Henry purchased some land at Balhannah where he established an orchard, and in 1908, he commenced the business of Balhannah Nurseries. (Balhannahnurseries.com.au, 2025) (Trevenen Family in Australia, 2017)
Henry died in 1939 at his home in Payneham. He was 85 years old. Below is Henry’s obituary, which appeared in The Advertiser on Wednesday, 28th June 1939. (Trove, 2025)
Above:- Obituary of Henry ‘Norman’ Wicks, The Advertiser, Wed 28 Jun 1939. Image c/o Trove.
Henry’s son, ‘Norman’ Hicks, was born in October 1889 at Marden. Along with his brother Leonard ‘Len’, they traded as Wicks Brothers at Balhannah until 1917, when he purchased his father’s property. (Trevenen Family in Australia, 2017)
Norman subsequently established the Balhannah Cold Store Company with August Filsell. This was Australia’s first private cold store. Norman also established Elmsdale Cider, which was exhibited in 1935 in Japan at an Australian trade fair. (Trevenen Family in Australia, 2017)
Above:- Article from the Observer, Sat 8 Mar 1930. Image c/o Trove.
Norman died in August 1974 and is buried at the Bonney’s Flat Methodist Cemetery, Balhannah.
Norman’s son Malcolm continued his father’s nursery business and became the manager of Balhannah Nurseries in 1960. Malcom retired in 1981. He died on the 12th day of September 2009 and is buried at Bonney’s Flat Methodist Cemetery, Balhannah, with his parents.(Balhannahnurseries.com.au, 2025) (Trevenen Family in Australia, 2017)
Marija and I set up just inside the gate alongside the park sign. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.
It was a little drizzly at times, and as a result, we had to deploy the bothy bag to offer some protection. In the end, the rain won, and we had to go QRT. But not before we made a total of 144 QSOs and 54 Park-to-Park contacts. It was a brilliant activation.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-
VK1DI/p (VKFF-3181)
VK2IO/P (VKFF-347)
VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0347)
VK3PF/P (VKFF-5823)
VK3KAI/P (VKFF-5823)
VK3WSG
VK3CAL
VK5DU/P (VKFF-0826)
VK3XV/P (VKFF-2263)
VK3UAO
VK2GOM/P (VKFF-2698)
VK2VAR/P (VKFF-2698)
VK5QA/P
VK2DBF/P
VK3CLD/P
VK1AO/P (VKFF-1386)
VK2MET/P (VKFF-1386)
VK3ZK/P (VKFF-0747
VK1CHW/P (VKFF-0835)
VK7LTD/P (VKFF-3370)
VK7AMP/P (VKFF-3370)
VK3APJ
VK3CEO
VK2SLB
VK2BRN
VK2KBT
VK3MCA/P (VKFF-6004)
VK3SPG
VK2LQ
VK2PCT
VK3KLI
VK3BYD/P (VKFF-3791)
VK3GJG/P (VKFF-5033)
VK2VW
VK2HFI
VK2AKA
VK2BUG
VK5CZ
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-
VK5CZ
VK1RF/P (VKFF-047)
VK2EXA
VK5HS
VK3APJ
VK3UAO
VK3GJG/P (VKFF-5033)
VK1CHW/P (VKFF-0835)
VK2IO/P (VKFF-0347)
VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0347)
VK3MCA/P (VKFF-6004)
VK2GOM/P (VKFF-2698)
VK2VAR/P (VKFF-2698)
VK1DI/P (VKFF-3181)
VK5AYL/P (VKFF-1005)
VK3PF/P (VKFF-5038)
Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
VK2GOM/P (VKFF-2698)
VK2VAR/P (VKFF-2698)
VK1AO/P (VKFF-1386)
VK2MET/P (VKFF-1386)
VK1RF/P (VKFF-0847)
VK2IO/P (VKFF-0347)
VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0347)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-
VK1DI/p (VKFF-3181)
VK2IO/P (VKFF-347)
VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0347)
VK3PF/P (VKFF-5823)
VK3KAI/P (VKFF-5823)
VK3WSG
VK3CAL
VK5DU/P (VKFF-0826)
VK3XV/P (VKFF-2263)
VK3UAO
VK2GOM/P (VKFF-2698)
VK2VAR/P (VKFF-2698)
VK5QA/P
VK2DBF/P
VK3CLD/P
VK1AO/P (VKFF-1386)
VK2MET/P (VKFF-1386)
VK3ZK/P (VKFF-0747
VK1CHW/P (VKFF-0835)
VK7LTD/P (VKFF-3370)
VK7AMP/P (VKFF-3370)
VK3APJ
VK3CEO
VK2SLB
VK2BRN
VK2KBT
VK3MCA/P (VKFF-6004)
VK3SPG
VK2LQ
VK2PCT
VK3KLI
VK3BYD/P (VKFF-3791)
VK3GJG/P (VKFF-5033)
VK2VW
VK2HFI
VK2AKA
VK2BUG
VK5CZ
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-
VK5PAS 