Our next WWFF and SiOTA activation for Friday, the 7th day of November 2025, was the Pira Bushland Reserve VKFF-5725 and the Pira silo VK-PRA3. Pira is located about 20 km northwest of Swan Hill.
Above: Map showing the location of Pira, Victoria. Map c/o Google Maps
On the way, we stopped at Harvey’s Tank, which is named after Thomas Harvey, who was a shepherd who lived in the area in the 1860s. The tank is one of several natural Mallee soaks where the Wadi Wadi Aboriginal people created fresh water wells called Yallum by lining with clay and covering with brush. The tank is located on the stock route that connects New South Wales and Adelaide, South Australia and was opened by overlanders Hawden and Bonney in 1838. Harvey’s Tank was a popular swimming spot for local school children. It is one of the few tanks that retains the timber posts, which formerly supported the tank cover.
Pira is an Aboriginal word meaning club. The Pira Post Office opened on the 14th day of July 1924 and closed in 1975. (Blake 1977) (Wikipedia 2025)
The Pira GrainCorp silos are located alongside the railway line on the western side of Pira Road and just north of Chillingollah Road. Some suggest that Chillingollah takes its name from the Indian word Chillianwallah, which was the name of a battle fought in India in 1840 between British and Sikh troops. Others say it is an Aboriginal word meaning waterhole. (Blake 1977)
The reserve is split into 4 sections and is located on the northern side of Chillingollah Road.
Above: the boundaries of Pira Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth
The Pira Bushland Reserve is about 4 hectares in size and was established on the 8th day of May 1990. (Dcceew.gov.au 2025)
Nearby, you can view a monument for the Pira State School No. 4278, which opened in May 1926 and closed in December 1981.
Marija and I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.
Above: the activation zone at the Pira silo. Image c/o SiOTA website
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2YK
- VK5GA
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
- VK2MAB
- VK5NJ
- VK1CHW
- VK2CHW
- VK2MOE
- VK1MO
- VK2IO
- VK2GEZ
- VK5DG/S (SOTA VK2/ CW-003)
- VK5ANB/P (SOTA VK2/ CW-003)
- VK3TUN/P (SOTA VK2/ CW-003)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB;-
- VK2YK
- VK5GA
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
- VK2MAB
- VK5NJ
- VK1CHW
- VK2CHW
- VK2MOE
- VK1MO
- VK2IO
- VK2GEZ
- VK2DHN
- VK5GY
- VK5CS
- VK3SMW
- VK3ZSC
- VK4CK
- VK3EJ
- VK3CEO
- VK1OZ
- VK2OZI
- VK1PW
- VK2APW
- VK5HS/M
- VK3CLD
- VK5QA
- VK2DBF
- VK2DA
- VK1DA
- VK3WSG
- VK2NP
- VK3SQ
- VK3JT
- VK2BD
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK5DG/S (SOTA VK2/ CW-003)
- VK5ANB/P (SOTA VK2/ CW-003)
- VK3TUN/P (SOTA VK2/ CW-003)
- VK2LEE
- VK5AAY
I worked the following stations on AM:-
- VK5GY
- VK5CS
- VK5NJ
- VK2DA
- VK1DA
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK2LEE
References.
- Blake; L, 1977, Place Names of Victoria
- 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 18 Apr. 2026]
- Wikipedia Contributors (2025). Pira. Wikipedia.
VK5PAS 