After breakfast on Tuesday, 28th October 2025, Marija and I headed to the Red Hill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-0860.
Above: Map showing the location of Red Hill Nature Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps
Prior to activating, we discovered the police box, the TARDIS, which is located in the park. It is actually a utility box that has been painted blue to resemble the TARDIS. The TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space, and is the time machine of Doctor Who.
The Red Hill Nature Reserve is about 293 hectares in size and is located on the eastern edge of Woden Valley in Canberra. The reserve includes Davidson Hill, which is 750 metres above sea level, and Red Hill, which is 720 metres above sea level. The reserve is adjacent to the Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve. (and 2023)
Red Hill was once part of the Narrabundah lease, which was held by Charles ‘Charlie’ Croft Russell. He grazed sheep there from 1938 until 1992. As the Canberra suburb of Red Hill became more populated, local dogs often attacked his sheep, and as a result he moved to cattle. He finally relinquished the lease in 1992 and died in 1998. (ancestry 2016) (Wikipedia 2020)
Above: Charles Russell. Image c/o ancestry.com.au
The land was previously part of the Duntroon Estate run by Patrick Sheedy.
Above: A 1942 map showing the location of Narrabundah. Map c/o mapsearch.nla.gov.au
In 1952, several devastating fires raged across the Canberra region. During one of those fires, the Narrabunda homestead was destroyed.
Above: part of an article from The Canberra Times, Sat 26 Jan 1952. Image c/o Trove
The Red Hill Nature Reserve contains the critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland. It is the fifth-largest known population of the endangered, heritage-listed Button Wrinklewort and an important habitat for the rare Pale Flax Lily. Hollows in old trees in the reserve provide breeding habitat for the NSW vulnerable-listed Gang-gang Cockatoo. (and 2023)
There are some panoramic views of Canberra to be enjoyed from the reserve.
Marija and I set up on the side of Red Hill Drive. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole supported on the 7 metre heavy duty squid pole.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK2GEZ/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK2YAK
- VK4YAK
- VK3SQ
- VK2BD
- VK3JT
- VK3HJW
- VK2DRB
- VK2BED
- VK1CHW/P (VKJFF-0838)
- VK2CHW/P (VKFF-0838)
- VK3TDK/P (VKFF-0773)
- VK3NYC/P (VKFF-0773)
- VK2XWB/P (VKFF-3931)
Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK2GEZ/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK3PF/P (VKFF-1392 & SOTA VK2/ SW-043)
- VK3KAI/P (VKFF-1392 & SOTA VK2/ SW-043)
- VK2XWB/P (VKFF-3931)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK2GEZ/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK2YAK
- VK4YAK
- VK3SQ
- VK2BD
- VK3JT
- VK3HJW
- VK2DRB
- VK2BED
- VK3FS/M
- VK3ATT/M
- VK2BAI
- VK1AD
- VK1NAM
- VK3DAC
- VK3SMR/M
- VK1DI
- VK2HMV
- VK3KRL
- VK7PJM
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK3EJ
- VK7LTD
- VK3PF/P (VKFF-1392 & SOTA VK2/ SW-043)
- VK3KAI/P (VKFF-1392 & SOTA VK2/ SW-043)
- VK1CHW/P (VKJFF-0838)
- VK2CHW/P (VKFF-0838)
- VK3CLD
- VK5QA
- VK2DBF
- VK2VAR
- VK2GOM
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK3MH/M
- VK3TDK/P (VKFF-0773)
- VK3NYC/P (VKFF-0773)
- VK2XWB/P (VKFF-3931)
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK2IO/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK2GEZ/p (VKFF-0991)
- VK3PF/P (VKFF-1392 & SOTA VK2/ SW-043)
- VK3KAI/P (VKFF-1392 & SOTA VK2/ SW-043)
- VK1AD
- VK1NAM
- VK2XWB/P (VKFF-3931)
- VK5HS
References.
- ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/. [Accessed 7 Feb. 2026]
- and, P. (2023). Red Hill Nature Reserve. [online] Act.gov.au. Available at: https://www.parks.act.gov.au/find-a-nature-park/canberra-nature-park/red-hill-nature-reserve [Accessed 7 Feb. 2026]
- Wikipedia. (2020). Red Hill. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hill [Accessed 7 Feb. 2026]
VK5PAS 