Woorabinda Bushland Reserves VKFF-4064

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Our final activation for Sunday, 24th November 2024, and the 2024 VKFF Activation Weekend, was Woorabinda Bushland Reserves VKFF-4064.

The park is located in the Mount Lofty Ranges ‘Adelaide Hills’ and is about 20 km southeast of the city of Adelaide.

There are four areas of the Woorabinda Bushland Reserves: Hender Reserve, Stirling Park, Woorabinda, and Madurta Reserve.

Woorabinda Bushland Reserves was formerly known as the Stirling Linear Park. The park is about 34 hectares in size and comprises four sections. (Wikipedia 2022) (Woroabinda 2025)

Hender Park is the western section of Woorabinda Bushland Reserves. A pedestrian railway crossing connects Hender Park with Woorabinda. Hender Park contains some of the largest and oldest stringybark eucalypts in the area. The park was proclaimed as a large public reserve in 1879, however, it is only a fraction of its original size. Heathfield High School was built on the site in the 1960s. (Wikipedia 2022) (Woorabinda 2025)

Stirling Park was previously known as ‘Halliday’s Gully’. It was owned by the Halliday family from 1855 to about 1930, who had a market garden on the property. John Halliday was born in October 1827 in Gloucestershire, England. He emigrated to South Australia in 1849, and in 1850 he married Martha Williams. They had six children. He died in 1919 at Stirling West and is buried in the Stirling cemetery. (Wikipedia 2022) (Worrabinda 2025)

Above:- John Halliday (right), his son Charles Arthur Halliday (left), and his grandson Herbert Halliday and great-grandson Maurice. Photo c. 1918. Image c/o http://www.ancestry.com.au

Stirling Park was compulsorily acquired by the South Australian State Government in the early 1970s. It was proposed that a school be developed on the site; however, this did not take place, and the land was sold to the Stirling District Council in the mid-1980s. The council proposed that a sports park be developed on the site, but local opposition has seen the site remain as a community park. (Worrabinda 2025)

Woorabinda is the largest section of the bushland reserves. In 1922, land was purchased from the Halliday family by the South Australian Railways, and a large dam was constructed. A permanent water source to service the steam locomotives at the nearby Aldgate Railway Station was required. The dam became known as Woorabinda Lake. From about 1960 through to the mid-1990s, the area was used as a campsite for disadvantaged families. The area was threatened by development, and this resulted in public protests. The site was purchased by the Stirling Council in 1995. (Ancestry 2021) (Wikipedia 2022)

Madurta Reserve was established in 1972 for the preservation of open space. Since 1983, significant planting of trees has taken place in the reserve by volunteers. Prior to 1972, the Madurta Creek and surrounding areas were used for the grazing of cattle. (Wikipedia 2022) (Woorabinda 2025)

Below are some photos of the lake in Woorabinda.

During our visit, there was plenty of flowering native vegetation.

We set up in a cleared area just inside the gate leading into the park on Woorabinda Drive. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4DNO
  2. VK3DNO
  3. VK3IFR
  4. VK3TKU
  5. G4NVF/VK3
  6. VK4JT
  7. VK4NH
  8. VK4DXA
  9. VK2VW
  10. VK2HFI
  11. VK2AKA
  12. VK2BUG
  13. VK3PF/P (VKFF-5790)
  14. VK1AO/P (VKFF-2740)
  15. VK2MET/P (VKFF-2740)
  16. VK2IO/P (VKFF-1815)
  17. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-1815)
  18. VK6XN/P (VKFF-4305)

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF/P (VKFF-5790)
  2. VK3KLI/P (VKFF-5736)
  3. VK2MOE/P (VKFF-3030)
  4. VK1MO/P (VKFF-3030)
  5. VK2IO/P (VKFF-1815
  6. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-1815)
  7. VK5LA
  8. VK5KAW
  9. VK3IFR
  10. VK3TKU
  11. VK3STV
  12. VK3UAO
  13. VK3CEO
  14. VK3ALF
  15. VK5FANA
  16. VK3BEL
  17. VK7MAT
  18. VK3GJG
  19. VK5DMO
  20. VK2LEE
  21. VK7PJM
  22. VK5PDR
  23. VK3RU
  24. VK7IAN
  25. VK3ALF
  26. VK5CZ/M
  27. VK3SPG
  28. VK2EXA
  29. VK3HB
  30. VK5HS
  31. VK2MOP
  32. VK3MCA/P (VKFF-2396)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4DNO
  2. VK3DNO
  3. VK3IFR
  4. VK3TKU
  5. G4NVF/VK3
  6. VK4JT
  7. VK4NH
  8. VK4DXA
  9. KG5CIK
  10. VK2VW
  11. VK2HFI
  12. VK2AKA
  13. VK2BUG
  14. VK3PF/P (VKFF-5790)
  15. VK1AO/P (VKFF-2740)
  16. VK2MET/P (VKFF-2740)
  17. UT5PI
  18. VK2IO/P (VKFF-1815)
  19. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-1815)
  20. VK5QA
  21. VK3CLD
  22. VK2DBF
  23. VK7LTD
  24. VK3MDC
  25. VK2LEE
  26. VK6TX
  27. VK7MAD
  28. VK6XN/P (VKFF-4305)
  29. VK7IAN
  30. OH1MM
  31. F5PYI

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF/P (VKFF-5790)
  2. VK3KLI/P (VKFF-5736)
  3. VK3APJ
  4. VK3SPG
  5. VK3VIN
  6. VK3MGM
  7. VK2MOE/P (VKFF-3030)
  8. VK1MO/P (VKFF-3030)
  9. VK2IO/P (VKFF-1815
  10. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-1815)
  11. VK5LA
  12. VK5KAW
  13. VK3IFR
  14. VK3TKU
  15. VK3STV
  16. VK3UAO
  17. VK3CEO
  18. VK3ALF
  19. VK5FANA
  20. VK3BEL
  21. VK7MAT
  22. VK3GJG
  23. VK5DMO
  24. VK2LEE
  25. VK7PJM
  26. VK5PDR
  27. VK3RU
  28. VK7IAN
  29. VK2EXA
  30. VK3HB
  31. VK5HS
  32. VK2MOP
  33. VK2ZG/7
  34. VK3ZK
  35. VK5CZ/M
  36. VK5KKT
  37. VK3DEM
  38. VK5GMH
  39. VK3MCA/P (VKFF-2396)
  40. VK3KLI/M
  41. VK5SUN
  42. VK3CAL
  43. VK7DD
  44. VK7MAD

I worked the following station on 40m AM:-

  1. VK3APJ

References.

  1. Ancestry.com.au. (2021). Ancestry – Sign in. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/52535637/person/372016307368/facts [Accessed 13 Jun. 2025].
  2. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2022). Stirling Linear Park. Wikipedia.‌
  3. woorabinda. (n.d.). woorabinda. [online] Available at: https://woorabinda.org/. [Accessed 13 Jun 2025]‌

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