After leaving Clare on Thursday, the 18th day of December 2025, I decided to head to Saddleworth for a quick silo activation. Saddleworth is located about 112 km north of Adelaide.
Above: Map showing the location of Saddleworth, S.A. Map c/o Google Maps
I headed south out of Clare on the Horrocks Highway and stopped at John Horrocks’ cottage at Penwortham, south of Clare. The Pioneer Cottage is the oldest stone building in South Australia, north of Gawler. It was built by the pastoralist and explorer John Ainsworth Horrocks shortly after he arrived in South Australia at the age of 21.
John Ainsworth Horrocks was born on the 22nd day of March 1818 at Penwortham Lodge, near Preston, Lancashire, England. In 1839, aged 21, he arrived with his 16-year-old brother Eustace in the new colony of South Australia. They established the village of Penwortham, south of Clare. John Horrocks returned to England in 1842 following his father’s death. and returned to Australia in 1844. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: John Ainsworth Horrocks. Image c/o Wikipedia
On the 29th day of July 1846, Horrocks led an exploratory expedition into the far north-west of South Australia. His 2nd in charge was John Henry Theakston. Artist and botanist, Samuel Thomas Gill was an unpaid volunteer. There were also several hired men, including Bernard Kilcoy as a cook and driver, a goatherd, Jimmy Moorhouse, who was a young Aboriginal man employed at Penwortham Station. (Wikipedia 2025)
Above: Horrocks’ encounter with Aboriginals during the expedition. Image c/o Wikipedia
On the 1st day of September 1846, on the shores of Lake Dutton, about 100 km north of Port Augusta, Horrocks was accidentally shot whilst reloading his firearm. One barrel of the gun was tripped by the packload of a camel known as Harry whilst it was kneeling. Harry was the first camel to arrive in Australia. Horrocks was severely wounded, losing the middle finger of his right hand and a row of teeth from his upper right jaw. The expedition was cancelled, and the party returned to Penwortham, where Horrocks died from his wounds on the 23rd day of September 1846. (Wikipedia 2025)
A little further south is a monument to Horrocks.
Saddleworth was named after Saddleworth Lodge pastoral station, which was named after a civil parish in Yorkshire, England. The town of Saddleworth was established as one of several settlements on the road to the mining town of Burra. (Wikipedia 2021)
The Saddleworth silos are located on Girth Street and are operated by Viterra.
I parked on Girth Street and operated from the 4WD, running the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.
Above: the activation zone at Saddleworth silo. Image c/o SiOTA website
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK5MAZ
- VK3PF
- VK3FTOM
- VK3CLD
- VK5WU
After the activation, I continued south on the Horrocks Highway, stopping at the monument for the former site of Gilbert Town, just north of Tarlee. The town was established in 1848 and was originally known as Gilbert. It was renamed Gilberton in 1851, and then in 1856 was proclaimed Gilber Town. The town once had a Post Office, the Bow & Arrow Hotel, and a store. The coming of the railway in 1870 caused the town’s decline, until 1902, when the town was officially reverted to agricultural land.
I continued on to home on the Fleurie Peninsula. It had been a very enjoyable day out and about.
References.
- Wikipedia Contributors (2025). John Ainsworth Horrocks. Wikipedia.
- Wikipedia. (2021). Saddleworth. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddleworth. [Accessed 26 Apr. 2026]
VK5PAS 