Daily Archives: December 21, 2025

Oolambeyan National Park VKFF-0403

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Our next activation for Tuesday, 21st October 2025, was the Oolambeyan National Park VKFF-0403. I was last out here 10 years ago in 2015, and it was such an amazing park that I had to bring Marija out for a visit.

Oolambeyan National Park is located about 90 km (by road) southeast of Hay in the Western Riverina region of south-western New South Wales. (NSW NPWS 2014)

Above: Map showing the location of the Oolambeyan National Park, NSW. Map c/o Google Maps

After leaving Carrathool, we travelled south on Conargo Road, passing the large RivCott complex where cotton ginning takes place. Ginning is the first crucial step in processing raw cotton.

We soon reached the junction of Conargo Road and Gum Creek Road, where we found a sign for the Oolambeyan National Park.

We continued on Gum Creek Road and then turned right onto Oolambeyan Road. We soon reached the boundary of the park.

There is only one public access road into the park, and that is via Oolambeyan Road. Jerilderie Road passes some km to the west of the park, while N Boundary Road passes several km south of the park’s boundary.

Above: the boundaries of the Oolambeyan National Park. Image c/o Google Earth

Oolambeyan National Park is 22,231 hectares in size and was gazetted on the 25th day of October 2002. (NSW NPWS 2014)(Wikipedia 2025)

Above: an aerial view of the park looking north. Image c/o Google Maps

The former pastoral station ‘Oolambeyan’ was purchased in October 2001. Oolambeyan had operated as a working pastoral and cropping station for over 100 years. The old Ooolambeyan homestead can be found in the park (I will talk about this a little later), shearing shed, shearer’s quarters and other structures. (NSW NPWS 2014)

Above: part of an article from The Australasian, Melbourne, Sat 3 Sep 1927. Image c/o Trove

Oolambeyan is believed to originate from the Wiradjuri Aboriginal word ‘Wulambiyan’. Wulam means ‘to call or give voice to’, and biyan can be past tense or ‘always and continuous’. Thus the word’s full meaning is ‘have always been calling’, the ‘voice of the wind calling in the trees’ or the ‘song of the wind passing through the trees’. (NSW NPWS 2014)

Two threatened plant species have been found on Oolambeyan National Park: the vulnerable slender Darling pea and the endangered austral pillwort. (NSW NPWS 2014)

I had told Marija that during my last visit, the park was absolutely teeming with wildlife, including emus and kangaroos. And this visit did not disappoint. We encountered emus as soon as we entered the park.

And dozens and dozens of Red kangaroos, Eastern Grey kangaroos, and Western Grey kangaroos. A total of 13 species of mammals have been recorded in the park. (NSW NPWS 2014)

There was also a substantial amount of birdlife. About 155 species of birds have been recorded in the park. Two species of birds are recorded as vulnerable: the Superb Parrot and the Plains Wanderer. (NSW NPWS 2014)

I was really keen to spot some Rainbow Bee Eaters, and it did not take long.

Marija and I were very fortunate to encounter an extremely friendly park ranger during our visit to Oolambeyan. He spent some time with us explaining the history of the park and took us through the old homestead.

Oolambeyan homestead was constructed in c. 1926. It has 2 separate areas, the kitchen wing and the manager’s wing. The exterior of the homestead features Federation Queen Anne and Federation Bungalow styles. (NSW NPWS 2014)

In 1924, Oolambeyan Station was sold for £84,000 to the Australian Estates and Mortgage Co. Ltd. (Trove 2025)

Above: Article from the Riverine Grazier, Hay, Fri 22 Aug 1924. Image c/o Trove

This was as a result of the death of Mr John ‘Jack’ Alexander Claude Kennedy Tyson. He was killed in France in April 1918 during the First World War. Jack was born in 1890 in Hay. His parents were Walter Searle Victor Tyson and Blanche Mary Tyson, nee Gwydir. Upon leaving school, Jack went to work on his father’s property at Oolambeyan. Upon his father’s death in 1902, Jack became the owner of Oolambeyan. (ancestry 2016) (Findagrave.com 2025) (Trove 2025)

Above: Jack Tyson. Image c/o findagrave.com

The old shearing shed at Oolambeyan dates from the early 1920s. (NSW NPWS 2014)

It was a warm day, and the flies were out in force, so Marija and I operated from the comfort of the 4WD. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK2USH
  4. VK2VW
  5. VK2HFI
  6. VK2AKA
  7. VK2BUG
  8. VK1AO/p (VKFF-3055)
  9. VK2MET/p (VKFF-3055)
  10. VK2IO
  11. VK2GEZ
  12. VK3HJW
  13. VK5IS
  14. VK2MOE
  15. VK1MO
  16. VK2DA
  17. VK1DA
  18. VK3CEO
  19. VK3VIN
  20. VK1DI
  21. VK1AD
  22. VK3SMW
  23. VK3GCM/p (SiOTA VK-NLL3 & VK-NLH3)
  24. VK3ZPF
  25. VK2YL
  26. VK3KRL
  27. VK5HS
  28. VK2HBR
  29. VK3CLD
  30. VK5QA
  31. VK2DBF
  32. VK3CJN
  33. VK3QHU
  34. VK4SMA/p (VKFF-3503)
  35. VK3SQ
  36. VK3JT
  37. VK2BD
  38. VK3MIJ
  39. VK5LA
  40. VK5KAW
  41. VK5CZ
  42. VK5XE
  43. VK3LRX
  44. VK2HLM
  45. VK3APJ

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK2VW
  2. VK2HFI
  3. VK2AKA
  4. VK2BUG

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK2USH
  4. VK2VW
  5. VK2HFI
  6. VK2AKA
  7. VK2BUG
  8. VK1AO/p (VKFF-3055)
  9. VK2MET/p (VKFF-3055)
  10. VK2IO
  11. VK2GEZ
  12. VK3HJW
  13. VK5IS
  14. VK2MOE
  15. VK1MO
  16. VK2DA
  17. VK1DA
  18. VK3CEO
  19. VK3VIN
  20. VK1DI
  21. VK1AD
  22. VK3SMW
  23. VK3GCM/p (SiOTA VK-NLL3 & VK-NLH3)
  24. VK3ZPF
  25. VK2YL
  26. VK3KRL
  27. VK5HS
  28. VK2HBR
  29. VK3CLD
  30. VK5QA
  31. VK2DBF
  32. VK3CJN
  33. VK3QHU
  34. VK4SMA/p (VKFF-3503)
  35. VK3SQ
  36. VK3JT
  37. VK2BD
  38. VK3MIJ
  39. VK5LA
  40. VK5KAW
  41. VK5CZ
  42. VK5XE
  43. VK3LRX
  44. VK2HLM
  45. VK3APJ
  46. VK1CHW
  47. VK2CHW
  48. VK2TRL
  49. VK5DW

References.

  1. ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/.
  2. ‌Findagrave.com. (2025). Gunner Jack Alexander Claude Tyson (1890-1918) -… [online] Available at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56043640/jack-alexander_claude-tyson [Accessed 21 Dec. 2025].
  3. ‌NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, 2014, Plan of Management Ooolambeyan National Park
  4. Trove. (2025). BIG PROPERTY SALE. – OOLAMBEYAN BRINGS £84,000. To Be Used for Stud Sheep Breeding. – The Riverine Grazier (Hay, NSW : 1873 – 1954) – 22 Aug 1924. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140120313 [Accessed 21 Dec. 2025].
  5. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2025). Oolambeyan National Park. Wikipedia.‌