Totness Recreation Park VKFF-1754 – National Threatened Species Day

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On Sunday, 7th September 2025, the VKFF program offered a special certificate for anyone who activated a VKFF reference on National Threatened Species Day.

Marija and I were very busy that day on grandparent duties, so we did not get out into a park until very late in the afternoon. We activated the Totness Recreation Park VKFF-1754, which is located near Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills, about 25 km southeast of Adelaide.

Above: Map showing the location of the Totness Recreation Park. Map c/o Google Maps.

The Totness Recreation Park was formerly known as the Totness National Parks Reserve. It was declared as a reserve in 1970, and then in 1972 it was re-declared as a recreation park. (Wikipedia 2024)

The reserve is divided into two distinct sections. One on the northern side of the South Eastern Freeway, and one on the southern side of the South Eastern Freeway. The area to the north comprises 9 hectares (22 acres), while the southern section is 32 hectares (79 acres) in size. The total area of the park is 41 hectares (101 acres). The southern section was completely burnt out during the Ash Wednesday bushfires of February 1983. (Wikipedia 2024)

Above: An aerial view of the reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

The park contains a large dam in the northern section. The dam was constructed in 1884 and was used by the South Australian Railways to refill steam locomotives. Water was pumped from the dam to the Mount Barker Railway Station, about 2.5 km away. This continued until about 1944. The dam in the reserve also served as a water source for the people of Mount Barker. (Wikipedia 2024)

The area which is now the southern section of Totness was originally granted to John Dunn in 1853. Dunn was born in 1802 in Devon, England, and emigrated to South Australia in 1840. He became a flour miller, parliamentarian and a prominent citizen of Mount Barker. (Wikipedia 2025)

Above: John Dunn. Image c/o Wikipedia

The area was named Totness by William Hannaford, who was born in Totness, Devon, England, in 1825. He arrived in South Australia aboard the Emma in 1845. The surrounding area was known as Little Totness. (slsa.sa.gov.au)

Above: William Hannaford. Image c/o MyHeritage.

The area around the dam was leased by the Mount Barker Council and was used for wood and bark harvesting. The bark from Golden Wattle was used in the Mount Barker tannery, while Messmate Stringybark was cut for firewood. (Wikipedia 2024)

The park’s vegetation includes Messmate Stringybark woodland, South Australian Blue Gum/Manna Gum woodland, and River Red Gum woodland. More than 180 native plant species have been recorded in the park. A total of 36 bird species have been recorded in the park, including Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, White-throated Treecreeper, Adelaide Rosella, and Laughing Kookaburra. Native mammals located in the park include Western Grey Kangaroos, Common Ringtail Possums, and Echidnas. (Dept. Env & Heritage 2007)

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5KPR
  2. VK5VK
  3. VK5WU
  4. VK5LA
  5. VK5KAW
  6. VK2EXA
  7. VK3TDX
  8. VK2YL
  9. VK7PJM
  10. VK3ACZ

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5KPR
  2. VK5VK
  3. VK5WU
  4. VK5LA
  5. VK5KAW
  6. VK2EXA
  7. VK3TDX
  8. VK2YL
  9. VK7PJM
  10. VK3ACZ
  11. VK4SMA
  12. VK3KRL

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK3ALF
  2. VK4XO

This was just a quick activation for us, as we had endured a long day and were keen to get home.

References.

  1. Department for Environment and Heritage, 2007, Totness Recreation Park Management Plan
  2. published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au. (n.d.). A Compendium of the Place Names of South Australia. [online] Available at: https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/.
  3. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Totness Recreation Park. Wikipedia.‌
  4. Wikipedia Contributors (2025). John Dunn (miller). Wikipedia.‌

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