After leaving Moulamein on Friday, the 1st day of May 2026, Chris VK5FR and I continued west towards Albury. Although I had been there in November last year with my wife Marija, I decided to call into the hotel at Pretty Pine with Chris.

Prett Pine is located about 19 km northwest of Deniliquin, and about 716 km southwest of Sydney.

Early official government documentation often referred to the district as Dahwilly, while other documents referred to both Dahwilly and Pretty Pine. Pretty Pine remained as the preferred name for the district. (Wikipedia 2025)

On Pretty Pine Road, as you enter the town, you can view some sculptures of a Wedge-tailed Eagle and Emus.

In late September 1875, it was reported that a new hotel was being built at Pretty Pine for Mr. R. Holloway, at the junction of the Moulamein and Wangonetta Roads. (Trove 2026) (Wikipedia 2025) 

Above: part of an article from Australian Town and Country Journal, Sat 4 Sept 1875. Image c/o Trove

Robert Holloway was well known in the Riverina district of New South Wales. He was the publican of the Carriers’ Arms Hotel at Deniliquin. He had also previously been a Cobb and Co. coach-driver. In December 1875, his license had been transferred to his new public house, the Pretty Pine Hotel. (Wikipedia 2025)

In May 1876, Holloway hosted a horse-racing meeting at Pretty Pine celebrating the Queen’s Birthday. (Wikipedia 2025)

Above: part of an article from The Pastioral Times, Sat 27 May 1876. Image c/o Trove

In late July 1878, Holloway died during a visit to ‘Baalpool’ station near Moulamein. The cause of his death was recorded as “aneurism of the aorta”. It was reported that he had been in failing health “for a long time previously”. (Nla.gov.au 2026)

Above: article from The Pastoral Times, Sat 3 Aug 1878. Image c/o Trove

Following Holloway’s death, his wife, Anastasia, took over the hotel’s license. In November 1879, a total of 213 acres of Crown land surrounding the Pretty Pine Hotel was dedicated as a site for the village of Dahwilly. The name originated from the Parish of Dahwilly, where the hotel was located. (Wikipedia 2025)

In 1880, Anastasia Holloway married Matthew Hole. He was a former Cobb and Co. coach-driver. The following year, in 1881, the publican’s license for the hotel was transferred to Hole. (Wikipedia 2025)

Opposite the hotel is the ‘Smoko’ sculpture, the work of Geoff Hocking.

After a quick drink at the Pretty Pine Hotel, Chris and I continued east towards Albury. We came across the scene below, dozens of foxes and feral cats hanging from a farmer’s front fence.

We detoured into the town of Barnawartha as I wanted to quickly visit the Barnawartha Cemetery. Family history is one of my other hobbies and some of my family members are buried at Barnawartha.

Barnawartha was previously known as Indigo Crossing. The name Barnawartha was introduced during the 1840s. It is believed to derive from an Aboriginal word with various meanings, including ‘tall rushes’, ‘parting of the storms’, and ‘deaf and dumb’. The township was surveyed in 1857. The Post Office opened on the 1st day of August 1860. (Wikipedia 2026)

We made a quick visit to the cemetery, where I found several headstones of family members.

Chris and I then headed to the Barnawartha I16 Bushland Reserve VKFF-4551.

Above: Map showing the location of the Barnawartha I16 Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps

The reserve is located on the northern side of Cookinburra Road.

Above: the boundaries of the Barnawartha I16 Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth

The reserve is about 11 hectares in size and was established on the 1st day of May 1979. (Dcceew.gov.au, 2023)

This was an easy park to access. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts output, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK1CHW
2. VK2CHW
3. VK2PKT
4. VK2KFT
5. VK2IO/P (VKFF-1925)
6. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-1925)
7. VK1MAZ
8. VK1AO
9. VK2MET
10. VK2NP
11. VK3IH
12. VK8VK
13. VK3PF (VKFF-4611)
14. VK3UP
15. VK7AN
16. VK2VW
17. VK2HFI
18. VK2AKA
19. VK2BUG
20. VK2VIC
21. VK1VIC
22. VK2GOY
23. VK5WU
24. VK1ACE
25. VK2EXA
26. VK2XGB/M
27. F5PYI
28. VK4NH
29. VK4DXA
30. VK7MAT
31. VK3CEO
32. VK7AAE
33. VK3AMO
34. VK1KEP
35. VK2RO
36. VK5ACK
37. VK3MCA
38. VK3JBA/M
39. VK3TDK
40. VK3NYC
41. VK2MAB
42. VK2LUE
43. VK3BCM
44. VK5BM

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK4SMA
2. VK5MAZ
3. VK4NH
4. VK4DXA
5. EA3MP
6. OH1MM
7. VK6NU
8. F5NZO
9. VK7AAE
10. KG5CIK
11. SP2XF
12. DA2MM
13. VK5AYL
14. VK6XL
15. VK4AS
16. UT5ZC
17. UT5PI
18. F4GYM
19. F6KBK
20. F4WBN
21. IU5LBQ
22. IK8RIH
23. DA1AM
24. HB9TUS
25. VK7NRT
26. SQ9CQO
27. HA0IS

After a successful activation, we packed up and headed to Albury. As we travelled along Cookinburra Road, we enjoyed some very scenic views.

We booked into our accommodation at Albury, the Regent Motel.

We then headed to the Albury Brew House for a meal and a few drinks with Craig VK3CLD and his wife Leonnie, and Grant VK5GR. We were also joined by Malcolm VK3OAK and Peter VK3PWG

We then ventured up the road to the Commercial Club for a few drinks with some other amateurs who were attending the VK Summit event.

References.

1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022.
2. ‌Nla.gov.au. (2026). Making sure you’re not a bot! [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/268018492 [Accessed 10 May 2026].
3. ‌Trove. (2026). DENILIQUIN. – August 26. – Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 – 1919) – 4 Sep 1875. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70585087. [Accessed 10 May 2026]
4. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2026). Barnawartha. Wikipedia.
5. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2025). Pretty Pine, New South Wales. Wikipedia.‌