Whilst I was away on the Eyre Peninsula, I became aware of the results of the 2023 Oceania DX Contest.
I came 1st in Australia and Oceania in the Single Operator Low Power All Band Phone category.
Below is my winning certificate.
And below is my participation certificate.
Thank you to everyone who called, and thank you to the organisers and sponsors of the Oceania DX Contest.
Back on the 19th of February 2024, I made contact on the 20m band with Dave VK5MRD who was aeronautical mobile in a Flying Doctor aircraft in the Northern Territory.
The aircraft was a Pilatus PC-24 VH-FMP, callsign FlyDoc501.
Here is a selection of QSL cards recently received via email.
Last night’s light show here at Ashbourne. Taken with the iPhone.
Certificate received for 100 years of Radio and Amateur Radio in Spain 1924-2024
A few weeks ago I received the following QSL confirmation from the Voice of the Martyrs for my reception of their station on 15570 kHz on 17th October 2023.
After leaving Dublin (Wednesday 10th April 2024) I travelled north along Port Wakefield Road-Highway A1 reaching the town of Port Wakefield. I then continued north along the Augusta Highway. I stopped at the little town of Lochiel to stretch my legs.
Lochiel is about 125 km north of Adelaide and lies on the western edge of Lake Bumbunga and at the eastern foot of the Hummocks Range.
Above:- Map showing the location of Lochiel. Map c/o Google Maps.
The town of Lochiel was surveyed in 1869. The South Australian Governor Sir James Fergusson (b. 1832. d. 1907) gave the Scottish name Lochiel to the site of the town. It is the name given to the senior line of Chiefs of Clan Cameron, a West Highland Scottish clan. Lochiel’ comes from the Gaelic ial – ‘gleam of sunshine’. The town of Lochiel is situated in the Hundred of Cameron, named after pioneer Hugh Cameron. (Cockburn 1984) (Manning 2024)
Above:- Sir James Fergusson. Image c/o Wikipedia.
One of Lochiel’s tourist attractions is Lake Bumbunga, a salt lake with a surface area of about 13.88 km2. The lake often appears to be a bright pink colour due to certain algae. Lake Bumbunga is the largest of a system of saline lakes extending about 30 km north of Lochiel, draining an area to the east of the Barunga Range, where it merges with the Hummock Range. (Hough 2008)
Salt has been mined at Lake Bumbunga since 1881. By 1910 there were at least three lease-holders scraping thousands of tons of salt at Lake Bumbunga. The Australian Salt Company held the lake leases from 1913 to 1971 when the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheetham Salt Company Ltd (now Cheetham Salt Ltd), Australia’s largest producer and refiner of solar salt.
In 1926, a branch line was constructed from the Salisbury railway line, allowing salt transport directly to Port Adelaide. (Fuss 2012)
Above:- Part of an article from The Register, Thu 18 Nov 1926. Image c/o Trove.
Salt was required for munitions manufacture during World War II, and this resulted in employment rising from 30 to 100 workers. There were three shifts a day with two trains a week transporting salt in bags to Port Adelaide. By 1967 a total of 1,000 tonnes were harvested a day. This was at a time when South Australia was pricing 80% of Australia’s salt. Between 1996 to 2012 the salt works were closed. (Fuss 2012)
Above:- Salt heaps at Lochiel, c. 1930. Image c/o State Library South Australia.
Bumbunga is believed to be derived from the aboriginal word parnpangka meaning ‘rainwater lake’. (Place Names 2024)
One of the reasons why tourists stop at Lochiel is to view the fibreglass structure ‘Loch Eel Monster’ which is located in the middle of the lake. The original monster was built from old rubber tyres and plastic by a local man Gary Taylor and his friends. It was named ‘Loch Eel’ a humorous take on Scotland’s infamous Loch Ness Monster. In 2017 the head was stolen, and work commenced on a fibreglass replacement. But why a monster in the middle of the lake? In the late 1880s bullock teams were common in the area. Legend has it that a team of bullocks were walking over the lake when they were ‘spooked by some sort of monster.’ (Escape to Lochiel 2021)
Lake Bumbunga has been used as a background for various advertising over the years including R.M. Williams, Mercedes Benz, and Foxtel. Fashion shoots for the Adelaide Fashion Festival have also been held at the lake. The TV series Upright used Lake Bumbunga as a filming location. (ABC 2023) (Escape to Lochiel 2021)
I then drove a further 19km to the north and reached the town of Snowtown, where I stopped to activate the silo for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program.
Snowtown is about 145 km north of Adelaide in the Mid North of South Australia.
Above:- Map showing the location of Snowtown, South Australia. Map c/o Google Maps.
The traditional owners of the area around Snowtown are the Kaurna aboriginal people. European pioneers commenced arriving in the district during the 1840s. The area saw the rapid expansion of grazing and farming. In 1847 pastoral lease 395 was granted to Edward Burton ‘Paddy’ Gleeson. The area was known as Black Point due to the hill to the east of Snowtown, Black Point Hill and the nearby Black Point Lagoon. Gleeson built a homestead at Black Point. (Snowtown Museum 2020)
Above:- Edward ‘Paddy’ Gleeson. Image c/o State Library South Australia.
Pioneer John Ellis leased the large Hummocks Run to the west of Black Hill. He built a stone homestead at Barunga Station between 1860-1863. In 1864, the South Australian Register referred to ‘Hummock Run’ containing the head station at Barunga, and two subhead stations at Bumbunga and Wokurna. The land was described as consisting of salt lakes, lagoons and dense scrub. (Hummocks Run 1864) (Snowtown Museum 2024)
Above:- Part of an article from the South Australian Register, Tue 27 Sep 1864. Image c/o Trove.
From the early 1860s, European settlers and graziers campaigned for more suitable transport routes from Black Point to Kadina for wool and wheat. In 1867 a Parliamentary Enquiry delivered a report which recommended the Clare to Wallaroo railway be built at a cost of £144.15s. Following the arrival of the influential Robert Barr Smith at the Hummocks Run in 1870, surveyors arrived in the district. A paved road was constructed in 1874, followed by the railway in 1878 from Kadina to Barunga, now Barunga Gap. (Weekly Chronicle 1864)
Above:- Article from the South Australian Weekly Chronicle, Sat 12 Apr 1862. Image c/o Trove.
On the 25th day of September 1877, the Commissioner for Crown Lands Hon. J. Carr, agreed that a township should be established at Black Point. It was at this time that the railway was extended from Barunga Gap to Black Point.
Above:- Article from The Express and Telegraph, Adelaide, Tue 25 Sep 1877. Image c/o Trove.
Snowtown was proclaimed on the 19th day of December 1878 by Governor William Jervois who named the town after one of the members of the Snow family who were his cousins who resided on the Yorke Peninsula. It is believed the town was named in honour of Thomas Snow, who became Jervois’s aide de camp when he received his posting in South Australia.
Above:- William Jervois. Image c/o Wikipedia.
The town boundaries were defined as an approximate rectangle immediately adjacent to section 114 in the Hundred of Barunga northeast of Barunga Creek, northwest of Salt Lagoon and south of Boundary Creek. On the 16th day of January 1879, the first town allotments were sold for cash only. (SA Govt Gazette 1878)
Above:- The proclamation of Snowtown, SA Govt Gazette, 19 Dec 1878.
As you drive into Snowtown, there is an excellent information board with some history on Snowtown.
In 2017 the Snowtown community commissioned a mural to be painted by Joel Van Moore ‘Van the Omega’ on the Snowtown water tower in Railway Terrace. The murals on the tower feature local volunteers and sports stars. (Australian SIlo Art 2024)
The Snowtown Wind Farms were commissioned in September 2008, with 47 wind turbines. In 2011 an additional 90 turbines were installed. The two independently run wind farms produce an annual combined total output of about 1350GWh, enough to power 230,000 South Australian homes.
Snowtown contains several historic buildings.
The Snowtown Soldiers Memorial Hall commemorates those who served in World War One. The foundation stone was laid on the 4th day of October 1924 by Governor Sir Tom Bridges with the official opening in May 1925 by Major W. F. J. McCann D.S.O., M.C., in May 1925. (Monument Australia 2024)
One of the first buildings to be constructed in Snowtown was the hotel in 1879. It was constructed by Mr. Richard Hazelgrove who paid £171 for block 160 on which he built the hotel. It was extended in 1913. (Snowtown Museum 2024)
Located at Fourth Street is the old English Scottish and Australian Bank. The building was constructed in 1882 and has been restored and repainted in heritage colours. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The old butcher and bakery business commenced in 1889. The corner shop was added to the original shop in 1910. (Flickr 2024)
The former St Canice’s Catholic Church is located in Railway Terrace West. The Foundation stone was laid on the 11th day of August 1935 by Bishop Killian. The architect was H H Jory. The church opened on the 26th day of January 1936. (Churches Australia 2024) (Flickr 2024)
After having a look around Snowtown, I drove to the Snowtown silos VK-SNN5 to activate the silos for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program.
I parked in Railway Terrace West 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 the Snowtown silos. Image c/o SiOTA website.
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
References.
My first activation on Wednesday 10th April 2024 for the Eyre Peninsula trip was the Dublin silo VK-DN5, for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program. Dublin is about 65 km north of the city of Adelaide.
Above:- Map showing the location of Dublin, South Australia. Map c/o Google Maps.
Dublin lies in the cadastral Hundred of Dublin which was named in 1856 by Governor Richard MacDonnell in honour of his birthplace of Dublin in Ireland. It was officially proclaimed on the 22nd day of May 1856 and covered an area of 91,520 acres. (Cockburn 1990) (Dublin History Group 2012)
Above:- Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell. Image c/o Wikipedia.
The first known landowners in the Hundred of Dublin were Messes Grant and Butler, who in 1851, secured a 14-year lease in lieu of an occupation licence. In 1873 the township of Dublin was surveyed and on the 13th day of April 1876, the township was gazetted. The town plan was based on the principles used by Colonel William Light in the planning of the city of Adelaide. Other early settlers at Dublin included Thomas Stephenson in 1866, Charles Burney Young in 1873, William and Jonathon Porter in 1874, and Robert Dawson and William Camens in 1876. (Dublin History Group 2012)
The Dublin silos are part of Dublin Clean Grain, a leading grain cleaning service north of Adelaide. The Dublin silo complex has a 780 tonne silo storage capacity feeding directly to a Cimbria 108 sieve cleaner and two Cimbria gravity tables. There are six 130 tonne silos. Grains that are cleaned at the complex include wheat, lentils, beans, barley, canola, and peas. (Dublin Clean Grain 2024)
I parked on Carslake Road and operated from the 4WD, running the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 8350 antenna with the 1.5 metre stainless steel whip.
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
I worked the following station on 20m SSB:-
References.
On Wednesday 13th March 2024, I headed over to the Mount George Conservation Park VKFF-0784, at Bridgewater. It was our monthly meeting of the Strathalbyn Amateur Radio Group.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Mount George Conservation Park. Map c/o Google Maps.
Many people travelling along the busy South Eastern Freeway probably wouldn’t even know this park exists. The Mount George Conservation Park is located just on the northern side of the Freeway between Stirling and Bridgewater.
Above:- An aerial view of the Mount George CP. Image c/o Google Earth.
The park is about 85 hectares in size and was proclaimed on the 7th day of November 1996. On the 16th day of October 2003, an additional 18 hectares was added to the park. The park predominantly consists of messmate stringybark open forest. Other native vegetation in the park includes brown stringybark, mountain gum, and rough-barked manna gum. The understorey consists of sedges, grasses, herbs, and ferns. (Birds SA 2024)
The Mount George summit, 520 metres, is located within the park. Sadly it does not have the required prominence for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program.
A total of 45 native bird species have been recorded in the park including Adelaide Rosella. White-throated Treecreeper, Superb Fairywren, Crescent Honeyeater, WHite-browned Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, Grey Faintail, and Silvereye. (Birds SA 2024)
During the 1840s much of the land in the area of the park was cleared by European settlers for farming and market gardens. (Parks SA 2024)
The park contains several walking trails. A section of the Heysen Trail also passes through the park. (Parks SA 2024)
Two Heritage agreements border the Mount George Conservation Park: Unnamed (No.HA856) and Unnamed (No.HA1609). (CAPAD 2022)
Above:- An aerial view of the park looking north. Image c/o Google Maps.
Those in attendance were Peter VK5PET, Robbie VK5MRS, and Bill VK5WMK.
I set up my portable station comprising the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and a 20/40/80m linked dipole, inverted v, supported by a 7-metre squid pole.
We operated from a shelter in the park.
Above:- Our operating spot for the afternoon.
Peter VK5PET who has previously activated several parks kicked off the afternoon and soon had a steady flow of callers.
Above:- Peter VK5PET with the mic, being watched by Bill VK5WMK.
Peter filled his log while the rest of us kicked back, had a few laughs, and tried to solve the world’s problems.
Above:- Myself with Robbie VK5MRS.
With some encouragement, Robbie and Bill then got on the air and made a handful of contacts each.
Above:- Robbie and Bill on air making some contacts.
I had previously activated and qualified this park several times, so I was not overly fussed about getting on air myself. It was all about showing Robbie and Bill the portable set-up.
It was a very enjoyable afternoon, and I am pleased to say that Robbie has since gone out and purchased a squid pole for portable operation. It was nice to get a couple of Park to Park contacts in the log with John VK4MUD. It was also very nice to get a bit of DX in the log – TK5AE in Corsica.
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
References.
A few days ago I received the IFF-H-50 certificate below via email.
Thank you to all of the IFF activators and thank you to the IFF award managers.
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