Each year in November, the VKFF chapter of the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program holds its annual VKFF Activation Weekend. This is a weekend where VKFF park activators all around Australia head out into the field to activate VKFF parks.
Today was the first day of the event, Saturday, the 22nd day of November 2025. Our first park was the Ferries McDonald Conservation Park VKFF-0881. Marija and I have activated this park several times previously. The park is located about 65 km southeast of Adelaide.
Above: Map showing the location of the Ferries McDonald Conservation Park. Map c/o Google Maps
We left home late morning and travelled through Strathalbyn and Woodchester. Our first stop for the day was at the old Hartley Methodist Church, located on the corner of Callington Road and Chauncey’s Line Road. The church operated from 1865 to 1895. The church is in a crumbling state of disrepair, and since our last visit, a pile of old tyres has also been dumped at the site. It is such a shame, a disgrace really, that there is not more attention paid to South Australia’s history.
The town of Hartley was founded in 1853. During its heyday it had a school, a church, a post office, a creamery, and several dwellings. When first settled, the Hartley district was referred to as ‘The Bremer”. It was later named Hartley by the Cross family after their farm in Devon, England. (WIkipedia 2024)
William Cross was born in 1793 in Devon, England. In 1891, he married Sarah ‘Sally’ Milford in Petrockstow, Devon, England. They emigrated with their 5 children to Australia in 1850 aboard the Andromache. They arrived at Port Adelaide on the 11th day of September 1850. They settled at Hartley and were the first settlers in the area. William died on the 28th day of February 1856, aged 63 years. He was buried in an unmarked grave on the flats of the Bremer River. (ancestry 2016) (Findagrave.com 2025)
His wife, Sarah, released land on Section 1275 for a place of worship and cemetery. On the 24th day of August 1857, the acre of land was purchased by thirteen members of the Mount Barker Methodist Society for £5. The church opened in 1856; it was closed in 1895. The church was sold privately in 1901. During WWII, a period when building materials were scarce, the tin roof of the church was removed and sold for scrap. (Findagrave.com 2025)
Sarah ‘Sally’ Cross died on the 25th day of July 1865, aged 67 years. She was buried in the cemetery, located between the church and the road. Her cause of death was dropsy. (ancestry 2016) (Findagrave.com 2025)
Above: The Hartley Methodist Church, c. 1941. Image c/o State Library South Australia
On the corner of Chaunceys Line Road and North Bremer Road is a monument that details Hartley’s history and landmarks. It is located alongside ‘The Duke’s Tree’. The tree commemorates the visit, on the 5th day of November 1867, of His Royal Highness Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, who was travelling from Wellington to Mount Barker.
The community of Hartley welcomed the Duke and his entourage with a luncheon in a tent under the blue gum tree. The Duke delivered an address at the gathering.
Above: part of an article from The Express & Telegraph, Adelaide, Mon 18 Nov 1867. Image c/o Trove
Marija and I continued along Chaunceys Line Road towards the park. Chaunceys Line was a road planned in 1854 to link the village of Hahndorf with the ferry at Wellington on the River Murray. It was named after surveyor W.S. Chauncey and was officially called ‘The South Eastern Road.’ (Sa.gov.au 2026)
William Snell Chauncey was born in August 1820 in Surrey, England. In July 1840, he married Anna Cox in Sinnighill, Berkshire. They emigrated that year to Australia aboard the Appoline, arriving at Port Adelaide on the 22nd day of November 1840. In 1849, he returned to Australia aboard the Duke of Wellington. He was commissioned by the South Australian Railway Committee to report on a possible railway line from Adelaide to Burra. He also surveyed the Adelaide to Port Adelaide railway line, and the South Eastern Road. In 1851, he moved to Melbourne and became the chief engineer of the Hobsons Bay Railway Company. By 1856, he had moved to New South Wales and was appointed the district surveyor in Belvoir, and later, the road superintendent at Goulburn. Chauncey died in 1878 from gastric fever.
Above: William Snell Chauncy. Image c/o Wikipedia
The Ferries McDonald Conservation Park’s southern boundary is Chaunceys Line Road. Its northern and eastern boundary is farmland. Ferries McDonald Road passes through the park.
Above: the boundaries of Ferries McDonald Conservation Park. Image c/o Google Earth
The park is about 845 hectares in size and was established on the 28th day of July 1938. The park is a remnant of mallee bushland in an area where most of it has been cleared for farming. The park is home to Red Kangaroo, Western Grey Kangaroo, and Euro. Birds in the park include the vulnerable Malleefowl, Emu, Mallee Ringneck, Yellow-plumed honeyeater, and Fairy wrens. Birds SA have recorded 89 bird species in the park. (Birdssa.au 2026) (Wikipedia 2026)
In the park, you can find a plaque commemorating the contributions of Edwin Ashby, Robert Sweet McDonald, James Ferries, Henson Bunn, and George James Lemmey toward the establishment of the Ferries McDonald Conservation Park. The plaque was unveiled in 1988 on the 50th anniversary of the park.
Edwin Ashby was born on the 2nd day of November 1861, in Surrey, England. He emigrated to Australia in 1881. In 1890, he married Esther Maria Coleman at Mount Barker, South Australia. They had four children. Ashby collected plants, birds and shells. He contributed to scientific and botanical publications on a regular basis. He was a chair of the Royal Society`s Flora and Fauna Protection Committee. Ashby was a world authority on the small sea mollusc, chitons. He died in January 1951 at Blackwood, South Australia, aged 79 years. (ancestry 2016) (Australia Yearly Meeting, 2017)
Ashby was instrumental in the creation of the Ferries McDonald Conservation Park. During the 1920s, he commenced a campaign for a reserve of mallee scrub in the Murray region. Ashby was concerned with the loss of mallee scrub and the loss of habitat for the mallee fowl. He was aware of the lack of interest in ecological issues by the South Australian State Government, and even proposed the domestication and commercialisation of the mallee fowl. However, his main aim was the creation of a picnic spot and recreational area in the mallee. (Grokipedia 2026) (UBC Web Design 2026)
Above: Edwin Ashby. Image c/o ancestry.com.au
Ashby’s children would acquire his passion for the environment. In 1965, Keith Ashby donated Wittunga house and gardens to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. In 1957, Alison Ashby donated Waitparinga Reserve to the National Trust. She was also responsible for the planting and distribution of thousands of native Australian plants during her life. (Australia Yearly Meeting, 2017)
In 1936, Robert Sweet McDonald donated 223 acres of land to the State Government as an example of the mallee scrub in the district. The reserve was gazetted as a Closed Area for Birds and Animals in July 1938. It was the first reserve specifically for mallee fauna. It was known as Chauncey’s Line Scrub. Mr. G Lemmey of Two Wells donated a further 588 acres, and in 1953, Mr James Ferries donated a further 279 acres of adjoining land. (Grokipedia 2026) (NPWS 2026) (Sweet 2020) (Wikipedia 2026)
Above: declaration of the reserve, S AGovt Gazette, 28th July 1938.
Robert Sweet McDonald was born in June 1866 at Woodchester, South Australia. In 1892, he married Marion Greenwood at North Adelaide. They had 6 children. They purchased a large tract of land near Monarto, which they called Preamimma. He also had a quarter share in land that contained Aclare Mine near Callington. Robert was chairman of Monarto District Council in 1905, while Marion was active in the community, raising funds for local charities. Robert died on the 28th day of June 1941, aged 75 years. Marion died in July 1943 at Premimma, Monarto, aged 76 years. (ancestry 2016) (Sweet 2020)
James Ferries was born on the 31st day of July 1875 at Red Creek, South Australia. He initially was involved in farming, but later went to London and joined the Slade School of Art. He also studied in Scotland. He returned to Australia and held exhibitions of his work in the South Australia Society of Arts Gallery. When his eyesight failed, he took up field naturalist work. He cultivated Australian native orchids and also collected cacti. He died on the 15th day of August 1951 in Adelaide, aged 76 years. (ancestry 2016)
Above: James Ferries. Image c/o ancestry.com.au
George James Lemmey was born on the 10th day of March 1874 in South Australia. He died on the 16th day of April 1950, in Adelaide, aged 76 years. He is buried at the Murray Bridge Cemetery. (ancestry 2016) (Trove 2026)
I have not been able to find the direct connection between Henson Bunn and the park. He was born in September 1887 in Mannanarie, South Australia, and died in August 1963 in Glenelg, South Australia. (ancestry 2016)
Marija and I set up in the car park in the southeast corner of the park. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.
Band conditions were good, bu we were plagued by mosquitos and the occasional drizzle of rain which forced us to get the bothy bag out.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK3PF/P (VKFF-4606)
- VK3APJ/M
- VK3SQ
- VK2BD
- VK3JT
- VK3ZSC/P (VKFF-0971)
- VK5UV/P (VKFF-0322)
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
- VK5AAF
- VK5DW
- VK5AV
- VK3FTOM
- VK3HX
- VK3AAV
- VK3VGQ
- VK3WMF
- VK2LDJ/P (VKFF-0860)
- VK1GAB/P (VKFF-0860)
- VK2CBC/P (VKFF-0860)
- VK3GJG
- VK3WSG
- VK3GRX
- VK3ZK/P (VKFF-0747)
Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK4SMA
- VK2COS
- VK2IO/P (VKFF-0383)
- VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0383)
- ZL3ASN
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK3PF
- ZL1GA
- VK2LEE
- ZL2BB
- VK6XL
- VK4NXD
- VK2ISO
- VK3ZK/P (VKFF-0747)
- ZL1CZ
- VK2ATX
- VK2PBC
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK3PF/P (VKFF-4606)
- VK3APJ/M
- VK3SQ
- VK2BD
- VK3JT
- VK3ZSC/P (VKFF-0971)
- VK5UV/P (VKFF-0322)
- VK5LA
- VK5KAW
- VK5AAF
- VK5DW
- VK5AV
- VK3FTOM
- VK3HX
- VK3AAV
- VK3VGQ
- VK3WMF
- VK2LDJ/P (VKFF-0860)
- VK1GAB/P (VKFF-0860)
- VK2CBC/P (VKFF-0860)
- VK3GJG
- VK3WSG
- VK3GRX
- VK3CLD
- VK5QA
- VK2DBF
- VK3JE
- VK3VIN
- VK3PWG
- VK3TTK
- VK3KBC
- VK5FANA
- VK5MSA
- VK3TDX
- VK3KRL
- VK5EDY
- VK3OAK
- VK3GUM
- VK5BL
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK5KLD
- VK3ZK/P (VKFF-0747)
- VK5DW/M
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK4SMA
- VK2COS
- VK2IO/P (VKFF-0383)
- VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0383)
- ZL3ASN
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK3PF
- ZL1GA
- VK2LEE
- ZL2BB
- VK6XL
- VK3ZK/P (VKFF-0747)
References.
- ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/. [Accessed 21 Apr. 2026]
- Australia Yearly Meeting. (2017). The Ashby Family. [online] Available at: https://www.quakersaustralia.info/Stitches/ashby-family [Accessed 20 Apr. 2026].
- Birdssa.au. (2016). Ferries-McDonald Conservation Park – Birds SA Resources. [online] Available at: https://resources.birdssa.au/location/ferries-mcdonald-conservation-park/ [Accessed 21 Apr. 2026].
- Findagrave.com. (2025). Hartley Methodist Churchyard in Hartley, South Australia – Find a Grave Cemetery. [online] Available at: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2820983/hartley-methodist-churchyard [Accessed 20 Apr. 2026].
- Grokipedia. (2026). Ferries McDonald Conservation Park. [online] Available at: https://grokipedia.com/page/ferries_mcdonald_conservation_park [Accessed 21 Apr. 2026].
- National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia. (2026). Ferries McDonald Conservation Park. [online] Available at: https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/ferries-mcdonald-conservation-park [Accessed 21 Apr. 2026].
- Sa.gov.au. (2026). Manning Index of South Australian History. [online] Available at: https://manning.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2026].
- The Sweet family tree in Scotland. (2020). Sweets to Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.thesweetfamily.co.uk/sweet/sweets-to-australia/ [Accessed 20 Apr. 2026].
- Trove. (2026). Family Notices – The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 – 1954) – 17 Apr 1950. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50213676 [Accessed 21 Apr. 2026].
- UBC Web Design (2026). Ferries McDonald Conservation Park | Monument Australia. [online] Monumentaustralia.org. Available at: https://www.monumentaustralia.org/themes/government/state/display/119283-ferries-mcdonald-conservation-park/photo/0 [Accessed 20 Apr. 2026].
- Wikipedia Contributors (2026). William Snell Chauncy. Wikipedia.
- Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Hartley. Wikipedia.
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