Tresco West Bushland Reserve VKFF-5961

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Our next activation for Thursday, the 6th day of November 2025, was the Tresco West Bushland Reserve VKFF-5961. The reserve is about 22 km south of Swan Hill in Victoria.

Above: Map showing the location of Tresco West Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps

Before heading to the reserve, we had a bit of a walk around Lake Boga, next to the town of the same name. The lake is about 940 hectares (2,300 acres) in size and has a capacity of 37,794 megalitres. (Wikipedia 2024)

The Tresco district takes its name from the Tresco Estate, owned by William Cornish. He purchased Murrabit Station in 1897 and renamed it Tresco. His father resided in Trescowe, near Penzance in Cornwall, England, and he named his property and homestead in honour of his father’s town.. Tresco homestead overlooked Lake Boga. (Victorianplaces.com 2026)

In 1912, Australian Farms Limited commenced to draw water from Long Lake at Tresco for irrigation. One of the Australian Farms Limited ventures was John Rose Gorton, the father of future Australian Prime Minister John Grey Gorton. He managed an orchard at nearby Mystic Park prior to the First World War. (Victorianplaces.com 2026)

Above: John Gorton. Image c/o Wikipedia

In 1914, a school was opened, and this was followed by a post and railway station in 1915. Severe drought in the district at this time caused severe losses for farmers. However, by the 1920s, there was a boom in the district with a store being established, an Anglican church, a fruit packing shed, a Masonic Lodge, a hall, and the Baptist church. Tresco’s population was about 318 people. Sadly, by the end of the 1980s, most of these had closed. The school continued, but it also closed in 1992. (Victorianplaces.com 2026)

The Tresco West Bushland Reserve comprises three separate areas surrounding Golf Course Lake.

Above: the boundaries of Tresco West Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth

Marija and I accessed the park via Lake View Track, which runs off Wilson Road on the eastern side of the reserve.

The reserve is about 90 hectares in size and was established on the 1st day of May 1979. (Dcceew.gov.au 2026)

Marija and I parked the 4WD on Lake View Track and set up our station, comprising the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole, supported by the 7 metre heavy-duty telescopic squid pole.

The band conditions were absolutely awful, and it was a struggle to get contacts. There was also some sort of pulsing signal across the 40m band, which made it difficult to hear the low-down stations that were calling.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2MOE
  2. VK1MO
  3. VK2VW
  4. VK2HFI
  5. VK2AKA
  6. VK2BUG
  7. VK3CLD
  8. VK5QA
  9. VK2DBF
  10. VK5GY
  11. VK2IO
  12. VK2GEZ
  13. VK2COS
  14. VK3PF
  15. VK3KAI
  16. VK1AO
  17. VK2MET
  18. VK2VIC
  19. VK1VIC
  20. VK2GOY
  21. VK5CS
  22. VK1AD
  23. VK1NAM
  24. VK2NP
  25. VK2AN
  26. VK2VAR
  27. VK2GOM
  28. VK2JPR
  29. VK5WE
  30. VK5HS
  31. VK5AYL
  32. VK2HBG/p (VKFF-1177)

Marija worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

  1. VK2VAR
  2. VK2GOM
  3. VK5WE
  4. VK3PF
  5. VK3KAI

Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI

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. VK2MOE
  2. VK1MO
  3. VK2VW
  4. VK2HFI
  5. VK2AKA
  6. VK2BUG
  7. VK3CLD
  8. VK5QA
  9. VK2DBF
  10. VK5GY
  11. VK2IO
  12. VK2GEZ
  13. VK2COS
  14. VK3PF
  15. VK3KAI
  16. VK1AO
  17. VK2MET
  18. VK2VIC
  19. VK1VIC
  20. VK2GOY
  21. VK5CS
  22. VK1AD
  23. VK1NAM
  24. VK2NP
  25. VK2AN
  26. VK2JPR
  27. VK5WE
  28. VK5HS
  29. VK5AYL
  30. VK2HBG/p (VKFF-1177)

I worked the following stations on 40m AM:-

  1. VK5GY
  2. VK5CS
  3. VK2VAR
  4. VK2GOM
  5. VK5WE
  6. VK3PF
  7. VK3KAI

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI

I worked the following stations on 20m SSBL-

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

References.

  1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2025). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database 2024 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2024. [Accessed 14 Apr. 2026]
  2. ‌Victorianplaces.com.au. (2026). Tresco | Victorian Places. [online] Available at: https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/tresco [Accessed 13 Apr. 2026].‌
  3. Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Lake Boga (Victoria). Wikipedia.‌

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