Marinna silo VK-MRM2

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After leaving Junee on Thursday, 23rd October 2025, Marija and I travelled east out of Junee on the Olympic Highway until we reached the Marinna silo VK-MRM2.

The Olympic Highway was originally known as Olympic Way. It was renamed in 1996, and the route between Wagga Wagga and Cowra was used for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games torch relay. (Wikipedia 2025)

The Boree Siding railway station opened in February 1897. In September 1910, it was renamed Marinna. It closed in 1975. The Marinna Post Office opened on the 7th day of December 1925 and closed in 1968. Marinna is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning ‘son’. (Nswrail.net 2026) (Wikipedia 2021)

Above: Article from the Daily Advertiser, Wagga Wagga, Wed 21 Oct 1925. Image c/o Trove

A newspaper article in August 1939 recorded that Marinna had a population of 58 people, comprising 30 males and 28 females, and a total of 14 dwellings. Marinna once had its own football club and an Agricultural Bureau. (Trove 2026)

Above: Article from the Daily Advertiser, Wagga Wagga, Tue 30 May 1933. Image c/o Trove

The Marinna silo is located alongside the Main South Railway line, on the southern side of the Olympic Highway.

The silo at Marinna was built in 1927. (Trove 2026)

Above: article from the Daily Advertiser, Wagga Wagga, Thu 24 Nov 1927. Image c/o Trove

In 1949, it was announced that additional storage bins would be constructed at seven elevators in New South Wales. This included Marinna, where two additional bins, each with a 50,000 bushel capacity, would be constructed. (Trove 2026)

Above: part of an article from the Cootamundra Herald, Fri 14 Jan 1949. Image c/o Trove

Marija and I parked the 4WD alongside the silos and operated from the vehicle, running the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.

Above: the activation zone at the Marinna silo. Image c/o SiOTA website

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2IO/P (VKFF-1271)
  2. VK2NP
  3. VK2HBG/P (Silo VK-PMA2)
  4. VK1AO
  5. VK2MET
  6. VK3BWS
  7. VK2VW
  8. VK2HFI
  9. VK2AKA
  10. VK2BUG
  11. VK3CLD
  12. VK2DBF
  13. VK5QA
  14. VK3PF/P (VKFF-4984)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2IO/P (VKFF-1271)
  2. VK2NP
  3. VK2HBG/P (Silo VK-PMA2)
  4. VK1AO
  5. VK2MET
  6. VK3BWS
  7. VK2VW
  8. VK2HFI
  9. VK2AKA
  10. VK2BUG
  11. VK3CLD
  12. VK2DBF
  13. VK5QA
  14. VK3PF/P (VKFF-4984)
  15. VK2HBR

References.

  1. Nswrail.net. (2026). Marinna Station. [online] Available at: https://www.nswrail.net/locations/show.php?name=NSW:Marinna [Accessed 13 Jan. 2026].
  2. ‌Trove. (2026). MARINNA – Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW : 1911 – 1954) – 27 Mar 1935. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144551857?searchTerm=marinna [Accessed 13 Jan. 2026].
  3. ‌Trove. (2026). ‘Marinna’ – AUSTRALIAN TOWN’S OPPORTUNITY. – Mount Barker and Denmark Record (Albany, WA : 1929 – 1949) – 14 Aug 1939. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240451443?searchTerm=marinna [Accessed 13 Jan. 2026].
  4. ‌Trove. (2026). Cootamundra Herald (NSW : 1877 – 1954) – 14 Jan 1949 – p1. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/16443367?searchTerm=marinna [Accessed 13 Jan. 2026].
  5. ‌Trove. (2026). Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW : 1911 – 1954) – 24 Nov 1927 – p2. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/15656371?searchTerm=marinna%20silo [Accessed 13 Jan. 2026].
  6. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2025). Olympic Highway. Wikipedia.‌
  7. Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Marinna. Wikipedia.‌

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