A few days ago, I received the certificate below for my participation in the 2025 All Asian DX Contest. I came first in Australia in the Single Operator All Band Low Power category.
Thank you to everyone who called me, and thank you to the organisers of the contest.
After leaving Belfrayden, Marija and I headed towards Jerilderie via Lockhart. Across the cleared farming land we were able to view The Rock summit.
As Marija and I drove along Lockhart Road, and our attention was drawn to numerous towers and antennas. We found that it was a Department of Defence high-frequency transmitter facility – Modernised High Frequency Communications System (MHFCS). The MHFCS is a high-frequency (3030 MHz) radio network providing communication services for the operational control and support of the Australian Defence Force and allied aircraft, marine craft and land units. (Airservices n.d.) (Tanter 2013)
The site is locally known as Lyndoch, named after the homestead on which the facility is built. The HF transmitter consists of a main circular antenna array, which is made up of 2 concentric rings of masts, with 10 smaller antennas outside the circles. The outer ring has 18 pairs of masts. The inner ring is made up of 20 single masts. Surrounding the 2 core circles are 10 separate sets of antennas. (Tanter 2013)
We then drove down to Milbrulong. We had travelled through Milbrulong earlier in our trip on 22nd October 2025. We wanted to head back to activate the silo. Milbrulong is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘rosella parrot.’ The Milbrulong Post Office opened on the 7th day of August 1899 and closed in 1976. (Phoenix 2026) (Visit Lockhart 2022)
Milbrulong once had its own football club and cricket club. The first published match of the Milbrulong Football Club was played in 1901 against Lockhart. (Trove 2026)
Above: part of an article from The Lockhart Review, Tue 28 Mar 1933. Image c/o Trove
The old Boundary Inn Hotel is located on Lockhart-The Rock Road, just before the railway line. The hotel was closed in November 1999. It is so sad to see all of these historic hotels sitting idle and their condition deteriorating. (Chirp 2026)
The hotel was opened in 1900 by Johann ‘John’ Heinrich Herman Menz. He was born in November 1856 at Lights Pass, South Australia. During his life, he was actively involved in farming and the hotel industry. He died in May 1901 at Albury, New South Wales. (Chirp 2026)
Above: article from the Wagga Wagga Advertiser, Thu 3 May 1900. Image c/o Trove
A tragedy involved John Menz and his family. 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
Another historic building in Milbrulong is the old Commission Agent Store.
We stopped briefly to have a look again at the Milbrulong 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)
Below is a short video all about the Eastern Rosella.
The Milbrulong silos are operated by GrainCorp. They are located alongside the Oaklands railway line, a branch line of the Main South Line.
The silos were opened in 1933. (Trove 2026)
Above: article re the opening of the silos, The Lockhart Review, Tue 5 Dec 1933. Image c/o Trove
I found the article below where an accident occurred at the Milbrulong silo back in 1930.
Above: article from the Daily Advertiser, Fri 25 Jul 1930. Image c/o Trove
Marija and I parked alongside the silos. We operated from the 4WD, running the Icom IC7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.
Above: An aerial view of the activation zone at the Milbrulong silo. Image c/o SiOTA website
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
References.
After packing up at Minjary National Park on Sunday, 2nd November 2026, Marija and I headed back to Gundagai and revisited the Gundagai Visitor Information Centre. We specifically wanted to have a look at Rusconi’s Marble Masterpiece.
Frank Rusconi was the sculptor of the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox. He also created this absolutely magnificent masterpiece.
Francis Philip ‘Frank’ Rusconi was born on the 20th August 1874 at Bell’s Creek, which is located near Braidwood in New South Wales. His father, Pietro ‘Peter’ Rusconi, was born in 1842 in Switzerland. He was a stonemason and emigrated to Australia in 1865, and in 1869, he married Mary McCarthy. She was born in 1847 at Braidwood, N.S.W. (ancestry 2016) (Kerr 1988)
Frank was only 4 years old when his mother died in 1878, at Braidwood. His father took Frank and his siblings to live in Switzerland to be cared for by his sister. By the age of 15, Frank was an apprentice in the marble trade in Verquinto, Italy. He completed his apprenticeship in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He then took on the role of ‘foreman interpreter’ with Renard, Fèvre & Co. of Paris and Conblanchien, travelling for work to France, Italy and England. (Kerr 1988)
By early 1901, Frank returned to Australia and established the Borenore marble quarries near Orange, N.S.W. His father and brother Joseph ‘Joe’ worked with him at the quarry, extracting marble which had become popular in the construction of buildings in Sydney. (Kerr 1988)
Four years later, in 1905, he settled in Gundagai, and he established a monumental masonry business. On the 15th day of June 1905, he married Florence Elizabeth Smith, in Bega, N.S.W. Rusconi’s business thrived and his headstones were known for their excellent quality. (ancestry 2016) (Kerr 1988)
In June 1910, Rusconi commenced collecting different marble from around New South Wales. He used these to create the Marble Masterpiece. (Kerr 1988) (Trove 2026)
In June 1923, whilst cutting a piece of wood, Rusconi suffered a serious eye injury. A wood chip flew up and struck his right eye, which burst the eyeball and pupil. As a result of the accident, Rusconi lost sight in his right eye. (Kerr 1988)
Above: article from The Gundagai Times, Tue 19 Jun 1923. Image c/o Trove
In 1932, Rusconi was contracted to create the bronze sculpture of the Dog on the Tuckerbox, which is his best-known work. (Kerr 1988)
Above: article from The Sun, Mon 28 Nov 1932. Image c/o Trove
The Marble Masterpiece was completed in November 1937. The Tumut and Adelogn Times reported: “An illustration, or a word-picture fails to describe the magnificence of this work of meticulous accuracy.”(Trove 2026)
Above: article from The Tumut & Adelong Times, Tue 18 Oct 1938. Image c/o Trove
In his latter life, he experienced severe arthritis and was unable to carve marble. Instead, he made small plaster souvenirs for tourists visiting the Dog on the Tuckerbox. (Kerr 1988)
Above: Frank Rusconi. Image c/o National Library of Australia
Frank died on the 21st day of May 1964 at Cootamundra, aged 90 years. He is buried in the Catholic section of the Gundagai Cemetery. (ancestry 2016) (Kerr 1988)
The Marble Masterpiece is a 1.2 metre (4-foot) high model of an imaginary Baroque Italian palace. No plans were used. It consists of 20,948 pieces from 20 different varieties of marble, and after 28 years of work, was completed in 1938. (Kerr 1988) (Marble 2020)
Prior to the Masterpiece being placed on display at the Visitor Centre, it was on display in a room at the Royal Hotel in Gundagai. (Trove 2026)
Also at the display is a detailed miniature marble model of the altar at St Marie’s Cathedral near Paris, France. No specialised equipment was used to create the miniature. Rusconi used basic marble worker’s tools and an old lathe, which was made from a discarded sewing machine. (Kerr 1988) (Marble 2020) (Trove 2026)
It was time for us to leave Gundagai and head to Jerilderie. We had spent 3 very enjoyable nights in Gundagi and can highly recommend a visit to this historic town. There are so many things to see and do.
Along the way we stopped to have a look at the historic Shanty Hotel on the Sturt Highway at Alfredtown near Wagga Wagga.
Mary Ryan was born in 1822 in Queens County, Ireland. She emigrated to Australia in the late 1850s with her 4 sons and 3 daughters. She settled at Alfredtown and named their property ‘Glandore’. Her daughter, Ellen married Patrick Rogers in 1865. Patrick built the hotel in 1868. It was known as the Prince Alfred Hotel. On the 10th day of May 1955, the name of the hotel was changed to the Shanty Hotel as this was the hotel’s common nickname. Sadly, this is another closed hotel. Its last trading day was 26th April 2009. (Burch 2018) (Nsw.gov.au 2026)
We then stopped briefly at the Big Murray Cod sign on the Sturt Highway on the eastern side of Wagga Wagga. It was initially located at the Murray Cod Hatcheries and Fauna Park in 1975. The park closed in 1995, at which time the Cod fell into disrepair. Following the purchase of the property, the Cod was restored to its current excellent condition. (About Regional n.d.)
We continued on to the little town of Belfrayden, west of Wagga Wagga on Lockhart Road. It is a tiny town with just a handful of homes.
The Belfrayden silo is located on Andrews Road, alongside the old Kywong railway line. The Kywong branch line was built in 1928 to service the wheat crops in the southern parts of New South Wales. It extended from Uranquinty to Kywong. The line closed on 1988. The Belfrayden railway station closed in 1976. (Nswrail.net 2026)
Marija and I set up alongside the silos and operated from the 4WD. We ran the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 930 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.
Above: the activation zone at Belfrayden silo. Image c/o SiOTA website
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
References.
Amateur Radio, Short Wave Listening, travel and history
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The rantings of VK2GAZ on his SOTA experiences in Australia
A survivor, with minor cuts and abrasions.
The Art and Craft of Blogging
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Blog of Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW's SOTA and amateur radio adventures.
Occasional SOTA & Microwave operation
VK5PAS 