Our next activation for Wednesday, 22nd October 2025, was Galore Hill VK2/ RI-047 for the Summits On The Air (SOTA) program.

Along the way, we stopped off in the tiny locality of Tootool, about 16 km west of The Rock.

The town takes its name from the Tootool Run, which was established by Robert and Archibald Irvine. Archibald Irvine was born in 1815 in Fermanagh, Ireland. Robert was born in c. 1823 in Fermanagh, Ireland. They emigrated to Australia in 1841 aboard the Berkshire. (ancestry 2016)

Both Robert and Archibald died under very sad circumstances.

Robert died in 1862 at Tootool Station. His cause of death was suicide as a result of the ingestion of strychnine. It appears from an item in The Pastoral Times in 1863 that Robert was an alcoholic and had been discussing suicide. (Trove 2026)

Above: part of an article from The Pastoral Times, Sat 10 Jan 1863. Image c/o Trove.

Archibald died in 1874 in the hospital at the Goulburn Gaol. In February 1874, he had been brought before the Goulburn Police Court, having been charged with being of unsound mind through excessive drinking.

Above: article from Australian Town and Country Journal, Sydney, Sat 7 Mar 1874. Image c/o Trove

The run was then acquired by Edward Ashcroft. He was born in December 1828 in Campbelltown, New South Wales. By 1864, he was living at Tootol Station. His eighth child, Alfred, was born there. He died in July 1896 at Tootool Station. (ancestry 2016)

Above: the Ashcroft family. Edward Ashcroft is 2nd from the left in the back row. Image c/o ancestry.com.au

In November 1901, a fire broke out at the Tootool run homestead. This resulted in the total destruction of the eight-roomed homestead. (Trove 2026)

Above: article from the Wagga Wagga Express, Thu 21 Nov 1901. Image c/o Trove

The Tootol Public School opened in 1887 and closed in 1968. The Tootool Post Office opened on the 1st day of August 1901. It closed in 1966. Tootool had its own cricket team. (Trove 2026) (Wikipedia 2021)

Above: a letter which appeared in The Albury Banner & Wodonga Express, Fri 4 Jul 1913. Image c/o Trove

Some interesting events have occurred at Tootool or been linked to Tootool. In 1906, an elderly man, David Wallace, was arrested and charged with having wilfully and maliciously set fire to natural grass at Tootool. He was convicted and sentenced to two years’ hard labour in the Goulburn Gaol.

Above: part of an article from the Wagga Wagga Advertiser, Thu 22 Feb 1906. Image c/o Trove

In February 1910, Christopher James Bolger was born at Tootool. Chris was a keen sportsman and was well known as a child for his tightrope walking. His family had a farming property known as Mount Austin and Toronto at Tootool.

Above: part of an article from the Daily Advertiser, Mon 29 Oct 1917. Image c/o Trove

Sadly, Chris was murdered at his property near Wagga Wagga. His body was found in a well, with two bullet wounds to the head, and his feet were tied, and a bag was over his head. Roy Soutar, who had been employed by Chris as a dairy hand, was charged with his murder. He was convicted and sentenced to death, which was commuted to life imprisonment. (Trove 2026)

Above: part of an article from The Truth, Sydney, Sun 5 Jan 1936. Image c/o Trove

On a happier note, the Tootool rest area is certainly well worth a visit. In 2000, a Tootool and French Park reunion celebration was held with a book being published. With some money left over, it was decided that a roadside rest stop complex would be built. Hats off to all those involved as this is a great little place to step out of your vehicle, stretch your legs, and read about this hsitoric little place.

The rest area includes a rotunda which contains an extensive amount of information about the district.

There is an old windmill and an old tree stump adorned with coourful bird nesting boxes.

The Tootool War Memorial is also located at the rest area. The memorial consists of a cement pillar on a four-stepped base, set on brick paving surround with each face inlaid with grey polished granite. On each granite face are the names of Tootool residents who served, with their fate marked with a + meaning killed in action, * died of wounds, X died of sickness, and ☒ cause of death unknown. (NSW.gov.au 2025)

There is also a memorial for the fatal collision of two Wirraways in August 1943. Both aircraft were from the RAAF 5 Service Flying School at Uranquinty. Three members of the RAAF were killed: Leading Aircraftsmen Frank Kenneth Smith, John Christopher Chandler and Raymond Thomas Cooper. St Leonard Hardy White, the pilot, successfully parachuted out of one of the aircraft. Sadly, he was killed in another air accident only three months later. (Nsw.gov.au 2019)

A little further up the road from the rest area, you will find the Tootool Telstra Telephone Exchange building mural. The artwork on the building was created by Australian-USA-based artist Damien Mitchell. He is originally from the Riverina region of New South Wales. The artwork features an old telephone, the Tootool Public School badge, the historic Tootool Bridge, native flora and fauna, and a swaggie. The artwork commenced on the 25th day of May 2023, and was completed the following day. (Visitnsw.com 2016)

We continued on to the little town of Mibrulong. This is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘rosella parrot.’ (Visit Lockhart 2022)

The Boundary Inn was built c. 1900 by Mr John Henry Menz. The hotel closed in November 1999. (Chirp Internet 2026)

Johann ‘John’ Henirich ‘Henry’ Herman Menz was born in November 1856 at Light Pass, South Australia. During his life, he was engaged in the hotel industry and farming at Jindera, Burrambuttock, Albury, and Mibrulong. He died in May 1901 at Albury, New South Wales. (Findagrave.com 2019)

On Tuesday, 7th December 1880, whilst living at Jindera and being the licensee of the local hotel, a brutal crime occurred at the home of his father, Martin Johann Menz. A swagman called Henry Wilkinson had been drinking at John’s hotel. The swaggie left the hotel to head to Albury. Later that night, John’s father was murdered, his daughter Maria Dorothea ‘Mary’ mortally wounded, and the house was set on fire. (Findagrave.com 2019)

Above: part of an article from Australian Town and Country Journal, Sat 11 Dec 1880. Image c/o Trove

After the house had been set alight, Mary, who had been shot three times with a revolver, fled the house with her 10-month-old son. She arrived at a nearby house owned by Mrs Douglass, suffering from a gunshot wound. She informed the homeowner that a male believed to be Wilkinson had shot her father and herself, robbed them, and then set fire to the house. (Findagrave.com 2019) (Trove 2026)

Following the murder, Wilkinsonson continued drinking at Jindera, using the money he had stolen. (Findagrave.com 2019)

Wilkinson was arrested at Jindera the following day. On Thursday, 16th December 1880. Mary died at the Albury Hospital from her injuries. (Findagrave.com 2019) (Trove 2026)

A trial took place at Albury, where Wilkinson was convicted and sentenced to death. He was hanged in the Albury Gaol on 4th June 1881. This was the only execution that took place at the Albury Gaol. (Findagrave.com 2019) (Trove 2026)

Above: article from The Australasian, Melbourne, Sat 4 Jun 1881. Image c/o Trove

The Mibrulong Post Office opened on the 7th day of August 1899 and closed in 1976. The Mibrulong Railway Station was opened in late 1900. In its heyday, Mibrulong had its own football club. (Wikipedia 2025)

Mibrulong has an excellent water tower tank art project. It was painted by Scott Nagy and Krimsone in May 2020. It features the Eastern Rosella, which is native to the Mibrulong district. (Australiansiloarttrail.com, 2020)

We then continued on to the town of Lockhart, which is known as the historic verandah town. We had a very quick look around the town (we did come back about a week later for a much better look).

Lockhart has a very interesting attraction called Pastoral Shadows of Brookong. It features a series of rural scenes that have been created with rusted iron, metal scraps and natural materials.

CWA Park in Lockhart features a series of metal sculptures.

Lockhart also has an excellent water tank mural art project. This project was also undertaken by artists Scott Nagy and Janne Birkner @ Krimsone. It was completed in October 2018, and was completed in just over 2 weeks. The artists used freehand spray cans and cost about $28,000.00. (Australiansiloarttrail.com 2026)

We then left Lockhart and headed to Galore Hill. As we drove along the Lockhart Kywong Road, Marija and I were able to get some nice views of Galore Hill across the paddocks.

Marija and I soon reached the Galore Hill Scenic Reserve. Sadly, the reserve does not qualify for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program, as it is a council reserve under the control of the Lockhart Shire Council. The reserve is about 500 hectares in size and was proclaimed in 1968. Over 140 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve. Native mammals include kangaroos, wallabies, and echidnas. The reserve is home to rare ground-dwelling orchids, including Pink Fingers and Blue Fairies. (Lockhart Shire Council n.d.)

The first European to sight Galore Hill was the explorer, Captain Charles Sturt.

It is believed that Henry Osborne, who was an early settler, is responsible for the naming of the hill. In 1847, he climbed the hill, and it has been recorded that following climbing to the top, he shouted, “There’s land enough and galore for me.”

Osborne was born in February 1803 in County Tyrone, Ireland. He emigrated to Australia in 1829, arriving in Sydney. By 1839, he had acquired large land holdings in New South Wales. In 1851, he became a member of the Legislative Council, and in 185,6 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly. Sadly, just 3 years later, in March 1859, he died at Wollongong, New South Wales. (Osborne, 1967)

‌

Above: Henry Osborne. Image /co Lockhart Shire Council

It is reputed that the most feared bushranger in Australia, Daniel ‘Mad Dog’ Morgan, used caves on Galore Hill as hideouts from the authorities.

John Owen @ Daniel Morgan, was born in April 1830 in Appin, New South Wales. He attended a Catholic school in Campbelltown, NSW, but was characterised as a ‘n’er-do-well’ with antisocial tendencies. He became a horse and cattle stealer in the late 1840s. In 1854, he was captured by police after robbing two travelling hawkers in the Castlemaine district. He was sentenced to 12 years’ hard labour. Following his release, Morgan commenced his bushranging activities and murder. (Wikipedia 2023)

Above: Daniel ‘Mad Dog’ Morgan. Image c/o Wikipedia

On the 9th day of April 1865, Morgan was shot at Peechelba Station near Wangaratta. He initially survived, but died from his wounds later that day. (Wikipedia 2023)

Above: the capture and death of Morgan. Image c/o Wikipedia

Immediately following his death, a crowd of about 50 onlookers arrived at Peechelba Station. Some commenced to cut locks from his hair. On the 11th day of April, Morgan’s body was conveyed to Wangaratta and placed on public display. Rather morbidly, his head was removed, and his beard and the underlying skin from his face were flayed. It was reported that this was used to make a tobacco pouch. His headless body was buried in a pine coffin in the Wangaratta cemetery. (Wikipedia 2023)

Above: a post-mortem photograph of Morgan. Image c/o Wikipedia

Below is an excellent video on Morgan

Galore Hill is 386 metres above sea level and is worth just 1 point in the SOTA program. It has been activated 9 times since 2013. I was the second person to activate the summit, back in October 2015. (Sotadata.org.uk 2026)

Above: an aerial view of Galore Hill. Image c/o Google Maps.

On the top of Galore Hill, you can find an observation tower which offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

We were on the hill a little late, but we were still rewarded with some brilliant views of the countryside surrounding Galore Hill.

It was a fine late afternoon, but it was absolutely blowing a gale. So we took advantage of the shelter shed on the hill. We were very concerned during the activation that we would end up with a snapped squid pole. Fortunately, that did not occur.

We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole, supported on a 7 metre telescopic heavy-duty squid pole.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3WSG
2. VK1CHW
3. VK3PF
4. VK5IS
5. VK3GOW
6. VK2ETI
7. VK1AO
8. VK2IO
9. VK5FR/p (VKFF-1178)
10. VK5LA/p (VKFF-1974)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3WSG
2. VK1CHW
3. VK3PF
4. VK5IS
5. VK3GOW
6. VK2ETI
7. VK1AO
8. VK2IO
9. VK3ACZ
10. VK4GAP
11. VK2MFW
12. VK5FR/p (VKFF-1178)
13. VK3AMO
14. VK3TDK
15. VK3NYC
16. VK4SMA
17. JG0AWE
18. VK5LA/p (VKFF-1974)
19. VK4SOA/p
20. VK4COA/p
21. VK2HBG
22. VK4DJF
23. VK2JPB
24. VK2HEY

With the summit activated, it was time to head off to Wagga Wagga.

References.

1. ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/. [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
2. ‌Australiansiloarttrail.com. (2020). \r\n \n Milbrulong Water Tank Art\n \r\n. [online] Available at: https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/milbrulong [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
3. ‌Australiansiloarttrail.com. (2026). Lockhart Water Tower Art. [online] Available at: https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/lockhart [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
4. ‌Chirp Internet (2026). Former Boundary Inn Hotel in Milbrulong < New South Wales | Gday Pubs – Enjoy our Great Australian Pubs. [online] Gdaypubs.com.au. Available at: https://www.gdaypubs.com.au/NSW/milbrulong/51164/former-boundary-inn-hotel.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
5. ‌Findagrave.com. (2019). John Henry Menz (1856-1901) – Find a Grave… [online] Available at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203769211/john-henry-menz [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
6. ‌Nsw.gov.au. (2025). Tootool District First and Second World Wars Memorial | NSW War Memorials Register. [online] Available at: https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/content/tootool-and-district-war-memorial [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
7. ‌Nsw.gov.au. (2019). Available at: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Hansard/Pages/HansardResult.aspx#/docid/HANSARD-1323879322-134323 [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
8. ‌Osborne, B. (1967). Osborne, Henry (1803–1859). [online] Anu.edu.au. Available at: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/osborne-henry-2527. [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
9. Sotadata.org.uk. (2026). Sotadata3. [online] Available at: https://www.sotadata.org.uk/en/summit/VK2/RI-047 [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
10. ‌Trove. (2026). Tootool Notes. – The Lockhart Review and Oaklands Advertiser (NSW : 1910 – 1954) – 7 Mar 1911. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/138527877?searchTerm=tootool%20run [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
11. ‌Trove. (2026). Wagga Wagga Express (NSW : 1875 – 1876; 1879; 1890; 1892 – 1917) – 21 Nov 1901 – p2. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/15882050?searchTerm=tootool%20fire [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
12. ‌Trove. (2026). The Pastoral Times and Deniliquin and Moama Reporter (NSW : 1863) – 10 Jan 1863 – p4. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/30687436?searchTerm=irvine%20%2B%20tootal [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
13. ‌Trove. (2026). FARMER FOUND IN WELL – His Feet Were Tied, Bag Over Head – Truth (Sydney, NSW : 1894 – 1954) – 5 Jan 1936. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169590628/16108325 [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
14. ‌Trove. (2026). The Jindera Tragedy. – Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate (NSW : 1876 – 1954) – 22 Dec 1880. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136707785?searchTerm=menz%20%2B%20wilkinson%20%2B%20jindera [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
15. ‌Trove. (2026). The Jindera Gap Tragedy. – Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate (NSW : 1876 – 1954) – 16 Dec 1880. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136702390?searchTerm=menz%20%2B%20wilkinson%20%2B%20jindera [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
16. ‌Trove. (2026). THE ALBURY MURDER. – EXECUTION OF WILKINSON. | ALBURY, WEDNESDAY – The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946) – 4 Jun 1881. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/137815603?searchTerm=wilkinson%20%2B%20hanged%20%2B%20albury [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
17. ‌Visit Lockhart. (2022). Milbrulong – Visit Lockhart. [online] Available at: https://www.visitlockhartshire.com.au/explore/milbrulong/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2026].
18. ‌Visitnsw.com. (2016). Tootool Telstra Telephone Exchange Building Mural. [online] Available at: https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/country-nsw/riverina/lockhart/attractions/tootool-telstra-telephone-exchange-building-mural [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].
19. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Tootool, New South Wales. Wikipedia.‌
20. Wikipedia. (2023). Daniel Morgan (bushranger). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Morgan_(bushranger). [Accessed 10 Jan. 2026].‌