It was now Saturday 2nd December 2023. Marija and I had plans to activate several parks. Our first park for the day was the Cathcart Bushland Reserve VKFF-4299.
The reserve is located about 7 km south of Ararat and about 214 km northwest of the city of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Cathcart Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
Before activating the reserve, Marija and I visited the Cathcart cemetery which dates back to 1875.
One of the interesting gravesites in the cemetery is that of St John McNally who was murdered while in the execution of his duty on the 16th day of October 1856. He was the first member of Victoria Police to be murdered in the line of duty. In 2006 a new memorial plaque was erected at the cemetery in his honour. (Monument Australia 2024)
Sergeant McNally joined the Victoria Police on the 18th day of June 1855, at the age of 29. He had previously served with the Royal Irish Constabulary in County Longford for eight years. (EGHS 2024) (Monument Australia 2024)
Above:- Painting of Sergeant John McNally by Ararat artist Geoff Todd. Image c/o Victoria Police Historical Society.
On the evening of Thursday the 16th day of October 1856, Sergeant McNally and his partner Constable John Moore, received information that two wanted men, William Turner @ ‘Gipsy Smith’ and William Twigham @ Twiffen, Twiggem, Laxton, Cockney Bill were at a miner’s tent at the Cathcart diggings. The two officers located Turner at the tent who made a desperate struggle to escape. He called upon his associate Twigham to assist. Twigaham produced a double-barrelled shotgun and fired at the two officers, killing Sergeant McNally and seriously injuring Constable Moore. (EGHS 2024)
Turner and Twigham fled the scene but were captured on the 23rd day of October 1856 at the Adelaide Lead diggings near Amherst. (EGHS 2024)
Above:- Article re the capture of Gipsy Smith, The Age, Tue 28 Oct 1856. Image c/o Trove.
Both men were charged with the murder of Sergeant McNally and they appeared in the Castlemaine Circuit Court. Twigham was convicted and sentenced to death. He was hanged on the 11th day of March 1857 at the Melbourne Gaol. He was asked at sentencing if he had anything to say, and only stated that the witness Adams by whose testimony he was convicted, was a perjured man and that his statements were false. The charge of murder was not proceeded with against Turner and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years hard labour. At his sentencing in court, Turner was described as ‘one of the most hardened ruffians in the colony.‘ (EGHS 2024) (Monument Australia 2024) (Mount Ararat Murder 1857)
Above:- Article from Bell’s Life, Melbourne, Sat 14 Mar 1857. Image c/o Trove.
The Cathcart Bushland Reserve is located on the northern side of Phillips Flat Road.
Above:- An aerial view of the reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.
The reserve is about 7 hectares in size and was established on the 22nd day of November 1983. (CAPAD 2022)
Marija and I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF. The band conditions were absolutely terrible as is indicated in the HAP chart screen shot below.
Marija worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-
- VK3APJ
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK3APJ
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-
- VK3APJ
- VK3PF
- VK3KAI
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK2YK
- VK5GA
- VK2IO/m
- VK1AO
- VK2MET
- VK2SLB
- VK1CHW
I worked the following station on 20m SSB:-
- VK2IO/m
References.
- 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 [Accessed 3rd May 2024].
- East Grampians Health Services. (n.d.). 165th anniversary of the death of Sergeant John McNally. [online] Available at: https://eghs.net.au/news/165th-anniversary-of-the-death-of-sergeant-john-mcnally [Accessed 3 May 2024].
- monumentaustralia.org.au. (n.d.). Sergeant John McNally | Monument Australia. [online] Available at: https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/crime/display/30743-sergeant-john-mcnally [Accessed 3 May 2024].
- THE MOUNT ARARAT MURDER. (1857). Mount Alexander Mail. [online] 25 Feb. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197084669?searchTerm=gipsy%20smith [Accessed 3 May 2024].
VK5PAS 