Mount Erip Flora Reserve VKFF-2397

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After leaving the Linton Flora & Fauna Reserve, Marija and I headed to our final park activation on 28th February 2023, the Mount Erip Flora Reserve VKFF-2397.

We drove through the little town of Scarsdale, about 22 kilometres southwest of Ballarat. Gold was discovered in the area of Scarsdale in 1856. It is believed that the origin of the name Scarsdale is believed to be the name of a gold prospector in the Scarsdale district.

Above:- the old Scarsdale town Hall.

We then visited Nimmons Bridge at Newtown. The bridge was constructed in 1889 when the Ballarat to Scarsdale railway was extended to Linton. At the time it was Victoria’s fourth-tallest timber trestle bridge. Today it is the third-tallest surviving example of a timber trestle bridge. It has timber piers with rolled steel joist spans and a timber deck. It is one of the most iconic timber trestle rail bridges in Australia. It is part of the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail.

Below is an aerial video showing Nimmons Bridge.

The park is referred to on some maps as the Mount Erip Nature Conservation Reserve. It takes its name from Mount Erip, which is about 405 metres above sea level.

Above:- Aerial view of the Mount Erip Flora Reserve. Image c/o Google maps.

It is believed that Erip is a derivative of the aboriginal word Yirrip, meaning ironbark tree. The park is 253 acres in size and was established on the 22nd day of November 1983.

We drove into the park via the Happy Valley Crossing Streamside Reserve. We followed a 4WD track into the park and set up the 20/40/80m linked dipole. We ran the Yaesu FT857 and 40 watts output.

Above:- Aerial view of the park showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.

Marija made the following QSOs on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4EMP
  2. VK4TI
  3. VK4TJ
  4. VK4SMA

Marija made the following QSOs on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK1AO
  2. VK2MET
  3. VK2IO
  4. VK4FW
  5. VK4NH
  6. VK4DXA
  7. VK2YAK
  8. VK4YAK

I made the following QSOs on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4EMP
  2. VK4TI
  3. VK4TJ
  4. F1BLL
  5. VK4SMA
  6. KG5CIK

I made the following QSOs on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK4FW
  2. VK8MM
  3. VK1AO
  4. VK2MET
  5. VK2IO
  6. VK4NH
  7. VK4DXA
  8. VK2YAK
  9. VK4YAK
  10. KG5CIK
  11. VK5LA
  12. VK2FALL
  13. VK4SMA
  14. VK5FANA

I made the following QSOs on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK5FANA
  2. VK3PF
  3. VK5BJE
  4. VK3ANL
  5. VK2YK
  6. VK5GA
  7. VK5CZ
  8. VK5HS
  9. VK3UCD

Unfortunately, I was not able to get to the 44 QSO threshold to qualify the park for the global WWFF program, but we had both qualified the park for VKFF with 10 QSOs each. It was getting late and we still had a bit of a drive to get to Geelong.

We drove south on the Pitfield-Scarsdale Road and stopped briefly at the town of Cape Clear which was named by Irish miners after Cape Clear in Ireland. Sadly the Cape Clear Hotel which was built in 1935 is now closed. Despite Cape Clear being 100 kilometres from the coastline, the town has a 13-metre-high model lighthouse.

We then stopped at the historic Pitfield bridge crossing the Woady Yaloak River. It is a riveted wrought iron Warren truss road bridge on bluestone abutments, that was originally built in the late 1850s. It is located on the pre-gold route known as the Upper Portland Road, one of the major connecting roads between the Western District of Victoria and the ports of Geelong and Melbourne.

The Woady Yaloak River is derived from an aboriginal word Wurdi-yaluk meaning “big creek”

We then drove southeast on the Rokewood-Skipton Road, and stopped briefly at Rokewood to have a look at some of the old churches in the town of Rokewood. This includes the beautiful bluestone St Andrews church which was built in 1866.

We then stopped at the Rokewood Soldiers Settlement memorial. The Soldiers Settlement scheme was created in 1917 to lease land to returned soldiers and nurses for farming following the First World War.

We continued southeast towards Geelong on the Rokewood-Shelford Road and entered the little town of Shelford. The old hotel and general store which was built in about 1855 is an impressive building in the town.

Also at Shelford is the old Shelford Iron bridge which was built in 1874. It is an early example of box girder construction in Victoria and is registered with the Heritage Council Victoria.

We then reached Geelong and our accommodation, the Geelong CBD apartments.

References.

  1. CAPAD 2020.
  2. flicker, 2023, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/7849945@N02/23332258361>, viewed 2nd April 2023.
  3. Mapcarta, 2023, <https://mapcarta.com/16680192>, viewed 2nd April 2023.
  4. Multiple Aboriginal Places Names in Western Victoria, Clark, I.D.
  5. Victorian Places, 2023, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/scarsdale>, viewed 2nd April 2023.
  6. Visit Golden Plains, 2023, <https://www.visitgoldenplains.com.au/blog/28>, viewed 2nd April 2023.
  7. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Clear,_Victoria>, viewed 2nd April 2023.

Linton Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2370

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After leaving Skipton (28th February 2023), Marija and I drove to the Pittong historic railway site.

Work on the Ballarat to Skipton railway commenced in 883 with the opening of the line to Scarsdale. By 1891 the line had been extended to Linton. Work on the Linton to Skipton line was conducted between 1914-1916 at a cost of £65,000. The line officially opened in 1916.

When the Pittong station opened it originally consisted of a 200-foot passenger platform and shelter plus a loop siding, ramped goods platform and livestock loading races. Due to Pittong being entirely rural, the station received wool, livestock and produce for outwards freight and superphosphate for inwards. By 1956 the livestock facilities had been removed. During the early 1970s a revival in freight occurred with the establishment of a kaolin plant in the Pittong station yard. A long loop siding on the south side, behind the old passenger platform was installed for the plant, and this traffic became the mainstay of the entire railway until its closure on the 27th day of September 1985.

Above:- Melbourne-Skipton excursion rail ticket 1978. Image c/o Wikipedia.

The line is now the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail, a walking and cycling path. There is an information board at the site of the old Pittong Station explaining the history of the station.

We then headed east on the Glenelg Highway and drove up to The Flagstaff Hill lookout on Flagstaff Road, Pittong. There is an observation tower at the top which offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. We were very surprised that this did not qualify for the Summits On The Air (SOTA) program, but clearly, it does have sufficient prominence to qualify.

We then travelled into the historic gold town of Linton, about 34 kilometres southwest of Ballarat.

The Carninjebalug clan of the Wathawurrung aboriginal tribe inhabited the land around Linton prior to European settlement. In 1839 Joseph and Mary Linton and their three young daughters arrived in Geelong from Scotland. They travelled to the district which was then known as Wardy Yallock and established the Emu Hill pastoral run which was known by the local Aboriginal people as Kayjap. The Linton property was 15,000 acres in size and had about 8,000 sheep, and extended north and south of the present-day town of Linton.

In 1855 gold was discovered in the northern section of the Emu Hill pastoral run. Within months of gold being discovered, there were hundreds of men and women on the goldfields. They commenced clearing the eucalyptus forest and establishing the Linton’s Diggings. It subsequently became Old Lintons when a new township was built in 1860 on Surface Hill. This was the roots of the present-day town of LInton.

In 1861 the population of Linton was 1,969 people. The Shire of Glenville was proclaimed in February 1864. Numerous buildings were erected including a bank, courthouse, post office, churches, hotels, and shops.

By 1900 the population of Linton was 630 people and it was still the largest town in Grenville Shire. By the 1930s the depression took its toll on the town of Linton resulting in a loss of population. Numerous buildings in the town fell into a state of disrepair and many were demolished.

Above:- the main street of Linton, c. 1900. Image c/o victoriancollections.net.au

The 1903 Australian Handbook described Linton as follows:

Fortunately, numerous historic buildings remain in Linton, and we enjoyed strolling down the main street admiring the town’s history.

After leaving the town of Linton we decided to have a look at Devils Kitchen, a geological reserve located southeast of Linton.

Above:- an old stone bridge passing over Woady Yaloak River.

Unfortunately, we reached a road leading down to the Devil’s Kitchen that was completely blocked off. There was also some police tape and although we could drive around the bollards, we decided to err on the side of caution. We were a little disappointed, as we had gone out of our way to have a look at Devil’s Kitchen, and there was no information on the Parks Victoria website to suggest that it was closed. We subsequently found on the Golden Plains Shire website that the bridge was closed due to recent flood damage.

We then decided to head to the Linton Flora and Fauna Reserve VKFF-2370 for a park activation for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program. We drove back along the Linton-Piggoreet Road and then drove along Graded Road and soon reached the park. Our first stop in the park was the old rail trestle bridge.

We passed a sign which read Clarkesdale Reserve, but we were not satisfied that we were in the park.

We drove east along Clarks Road and according to our GPS we were now definitely in the park.

Above:- Aerial shot of the park showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.

The Linton Flora and Fauna Reserve is also referred to as the Linton Nature Conservation Reserve on some maps, including Google maps. It is split into two parts. The first being on the northern side of the Linton-Piggoreet Road and Clarks Road. The second part is on the southern side of Clarks Road.

Above:- Aerial shot of the Linton Flora & Fauna Reserve. Image c/o Google maps

The park is 227 acres in size and was established on the 22nd day of November 1983.

We set up on the side of Clarks Road. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5FANA
  2. VK5HS
  3. VK2MOE
  4. VK2IO
  5. VK4HAT
  6. VK2FALL/p
  7. VK3PF

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK3GV
  4. VK2EXA

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4EMP
  2. VK4TI
  3. VK4NH
  4. VK4DXA
  5. VK4FW
  6. VK8MM
  7. VK4HRE
  8. VK4CXY

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5FANA
  2. VK5HS
  3. VK2MOE
  4. VK2IO
  5. VK4HAT
  6. VK2FALL/p
  7. VK3PF

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3KAI
  3. VK3GV
  4. VK2EXA

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4EMP
  2. VK4TI
  3. VK4NH
  4. VK4DXA
  5. VK1AO
  6. VK2MET
  7. VK4FW
  8. VK8MM

References.

  1. CAPAD 2020.
  2. Goldfields Guide, 2023, <https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/explore-location/390/devils-kitchen-geological-reserve/>, viewed 1st April 2023.
  3. Linton & District Historical Society Inc, 2023, <https://www.lintonhistory.org.au/brief-history>, viewed 1st April 2023.
  4. Rail Trails Australia, 2023, <https://www.railtrails.org.au/>, viewed 1st April 2023.
  5. Visit Golden Plains, 2023, <https://www.visitgoldenplains.com.au/>, viewed 1st April 2023.

Skipton silo VK-SKN3

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Our next stop for 28th February 2023 was the town of Skipton, about 183 km (by road) west of the city of Melbourne, and 48 km southeast of Ballarat.

Above:- Map showing the location of Skipton. Map c/o Google maps.

We last stopped at Skipton late last year on our way home from Geelong after visiting Tasmania.

Marija and I stopped at the Skipton cafe and had a very nice lunch and a cup of coffee. The meal was excellent and the owners were very friendly.

In 1838 a pastoral run was established in the Skipton area. A hut was built beside Mount Emu Creek which became the site of the township of Skipton which was surveyed in 1852. It is believed that Skipton was named after Skipton in Yorkshire in England. The old English Scip-tun means sheep town. In 1858 the Skipton Hotel was built.

Francis Ormond was the owner of Borriyalloak station near Skipton. In 1853 he became a territorial Magistrate and he regularly sat on the Common Bench at Skipton and other nearby towns. In 1855 he and two other prominent landowners in the area formed the Skipton Agricultural and Pastoral Association. During the mid-1850s he started a class for the children of the employees at Borriyalloak station, as they were often left to their own devices whilst their parents worked the land. In 1856 Ormond commenced lengthy talks with the Presbytery of Melbourne, with a view to the establishment of a parish in Skipton. This resulted in the opening of a small brick church in 1857 at Skipton.

In 1864 a school was built at Skipton. Between 1865-1870 a Methodist church was established, a Mechanics Institute in 1880, and a Catholic Church in 1897. Until the 1890s Skipton’s population barely exceeded 150 people, but it gained a school (1864), a Methodist church (1865-70), a mechanics’ institute (1880) and a Catholic church (1897). Following the First World War, there was a Soldier Settlement in the area.

The 1903 Australian Handbook described Skipton as follows:-

Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG (b. 1908. d. 1990) served as the 38th Premier of Victoria. To date he is the longest-serving Victorian premier, having been in office for over 17 consecutive years. He spent the first 24 years of his life in Skipton and attended the Skipton Primary School. There is a bust/monument in Skipton to honour Bolte.

Melbourne Cup and Victoria Derby winning horse Skipton, is named after the little town. Skipton’s owner Myrtle Kitson was given the horse as a yearling by her husband after he had purchased the horse for 25 guineas. Kitson intended to name the horse Monaco, after visiting that country. However, relations with the British Empire were strained at the time, so she named the horse Skipton. She and her husband owned the Grand Central Hotel in Hamilton, and they would often travel through Skipton on their way to Melbourne. Mrs. Kitson is reported to have said: “This town is a pretty little place with a river and overhanging willows’.

Above:- Portion of an article from the Sporting Globe, Melbourne, Wed 10 Dec 1941. c/o Trove.

According to the sign out the front, the Skipton Hotel was built in 1856. Various websites have the construction year as 1859. Sadly this beautiful bluestone watering hole is now closed. I suspect those bar walls could tell some stories. The stables at the rear were used by Cobb & Co as a staging point.

Christ Church in Skipton stands at the top of ‘School Hill’ at the eastern entrance to Skipton. The church was built in 1924, with the first service held on Sunday the 30th day of November 1924.

There are numerous other historic buildings in Skipton, and it is certainly well worth a stop and a wander around this historic little town.

On the bridge that crosses Emu Creek, there is some artwork on the bridge pylons and information boards with history about Skipton.

We then drove to the Skipton silo on Station Street, on the southern side of the town, and activated the silo for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program. The silo is operated by Harwood Grains and Stockfeeds. We operated from within the 4WD, running the Icom IC7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5HS
  2. VK2LSB
  3. VK7XX
  4. VK2IO
  5. VK5FANA

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5HS
  2. VK2LSB
  3. VK7XX
  4. VK2IO
  5. VK5FANA
  6. VK5WU
  7. VK1AO
  8. VK2MET

I worked the following station on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF

References.

  1. Victorian Places, 2023, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/skipton>, viewed 30th March 2023.
  2. Skipton Victoria Australia, 2023, <https://skiptonaustralia.org/>, viewed 30th March 2023.
  3. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Ormond>, viewed 30th March 2023.
  4. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Bolte>, viewed 30th March 2023.

Stoneleigh silo VK-STH3 and Salt Lagoon Wongon Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2433

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Marija and I left the Tatyoon silo and headed to Stonleigh in Victoria where we planned to activate the Stonleigh silo VK-STH3 and the Salt Lagoon Wongon Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2433. Stoneleigh is about 187 km (by road) northwest of the city of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of Stoneleigh. Map c/o Google maps.

The Salt Lagoon Wongon Wildlife Reserve is not to be confused with Lake Wongan Wildlife Reserve. Salt Lagoon WR is located on Mount William Road, while Lake Wongan WR is located a little further to the south on the eastern side of Eurambeen – Streatham Road. The Lake Wongan WR currently is not listed with the VKFF program.

The Salt Lake Wongon Wildlife Reserve is 24 acres in size and was gazetted on the 22nd day of November 1983.

The park is located within the activation zone of the Stoneleigh silo.

Above:- the activation zone at the Stoneleigh silo. Image c/o SiOTA website.

The park appears to be surrounded by farming land. However, there is a small section accessible on the western side of Mount William Road.

Above:- An aerial view of the park and the silo complex, showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.

The Stoneleigh silo is a working silo and is run by CHS Broadbent, a grain marketing, logistics, storage, and export company.

The park is located in a district called Yalla-Y-Poora, while the silo across the road is located in the district of Stonleigh.

Yalla-Y-Poora is believed to be aboriginal for trees by water. The land was taken up by squatters Thompson and Stevens in 1841. They had made a five-month journey from Yass in New South Wales to overland their sheep on the banks of Fiery Creek. By 1854 the property had been sold to James Austin. In 1856 he sold the property to Jeremiah Ware. Jeremiah and his brothers John and Joseph had moved from Tasmania to establish their sheep property. Yalla-Y-Poora consisted of 66,493 acres.

The original Yalla-Y-Poora homestead was built in 1857. The property at its peak ran 60,000 sheep. It took the shearing team in the 20-stand shed a total of 2 months to complete the annual clip. The station buildings included a Manager’s cottage, and a Coach house and Stables.

Above:- Yalla-Y-Poora homestead. Image c/o State Library Victoria

After our activation, we drove to have a look at the Yalla-Y-Poora homestead, but it is set a long way off the road so we were unable to get a glimpse of this magnificent homestead.

Austrian-born artist Eugene von Guerard was a friend of the Ware family and frequently visited Yalla-Y-Poora station, and painted many works during his visits. One of those paintings was completed in 1864 and shows the Yalla-Y-Poora homestead and the shearing shed.

Above:- Yalla-Y-Poora, 1864. Image c/o https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/

The Yalla-Y-Poora property holding diminished in size over the years due to the Lands Act of 1862, land taxes in the 1890s, and soldier settlement following both the First and Second World Wars. In 1924 a world record was set from wool from the Yalla-Y-Poora flock. During the 1950s and 1960s, the last descendant of the Ware family declared bankruptcy and the Yalla-Y-Poora property was sold.

Stoneleigh also has a homestead. It commenced its life as a flat-roofed weatherboard cottage during the 1840s. In about 1864 the cottage was incorporated into a house for William Lewis, and in 18876 a two-storey addition was added to the rear of the home. The original 1840s cottage is the entrance to the homestead.

Above:- Stoneleigh homestead. Image c/o State Library Victoria.

Marija and I pulled off the side of the road and ran out the 20/40/80m linked dipole. As it was a cold day we decided to operate from within the 4WD. We used the Yaesu FT-857 and 40 watts output.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSN:-

  1. VK4SMA/p (Conondale Conservation Park VKFF-1513)
  2. VK7XX
  3. VK2EXA
  4. VK5HS
  5. VK4TJ
  6. VK2IO
  7. VK3CM
  8. VK3SQ
  9. VK3AHR
  10. VK4HAT
  11. VK5DW

Marija worked the following station on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4TJ

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK4SMA/p (Conondale Conservation Park VKFF-1513)
  2. VK7XX
  3. VK2EXA
  4. VK5HS
  5. VK4TJ
  6. VK2IO
  7. VK3CM
  8. VK3SQ
  9. VK3AHR
  10. VK4HAT
  11. VK5DW
  12. VK5FANA
  13. VK7HBR
  14. VK2PKT
  15. VK5BJE
  16. VK5KBJ

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK5BJE
  2. VK5HS
  3. VK5KBJ
  4. VK5DW
  5. VK3PF
  6. VK3SQ
  7. VK3OF

I worked the following station on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4TJ

References.

  1. Australian Country Magazine, 2023, <https://www.australiancountry.com.au/homes-gardens/homes-interiors/bluestone-benchmark/>, viewed 30th March 2023.
  2. CAPAD 2022.
  3. Heritage Council Victoria, 2023, <https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/67333>, viewed 30th March 2023.
  4. Western Districts Families Facebook page, 2023, <https://www.facebook.com/WesternDistrictFamilies>, viewed 30th March 2023.

Tatyoon silo VK-TTN3

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Marija and I packed up at Rossbridge Wildlife Reserve and drove a short distance to the little town to Tatyoon where we planned to activate the Tatyoon silo VK-TTN3 for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program.

Above:- Map showing the location of Tatyoon. Map c/o Google maps.

Tatyoon is located about 28 kilometres south of the town of Ararat, and about 180 kilometres northwest of the city of Melbourne. It is believed that Tatyoon is an aboriginal word describing water or a water catchment.

The first Tatyoon settlement was established near Fiery Creek and by 1872 contained a school, a Presbyterian church, and various other buildings.

In 1913 a railway reached Tatyoon. Tatyoon’s population increased following a Soldier Settlement scheme that was introduced following the Second World War.

Nowadays, Tatyoon is a small settlement with a rural supplies store, an old church, and an oval. There is also an Avenue of Honour to honour those from Tatyoon who served in the First World War.

The silos at Tatyoon were constructed in the town adjacent to the railway station due to the expansion of wheat growing in the district.

We operated from the 4WD alongside the silos. We ran the Icom IC-7000, 100 watts, and the Codan 9350 antenna. We found the band conditions to be extremely poor. In fact some of the worst conditions that we have ever experienced whilst out in the field. We squeezed in 4 contacts each, qualifying the silo, before we headed off for another activation.

Marija worked the following station on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2IO

Marija worked the following station on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF

Marija worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK1AO
  2. VK2MET

I worked the following station on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK2IO

I worked the following station on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK1AO
  2. VK2MET

Marija and I then briefly visited the Tayoon cemetery where many of the pioneers of the district are buried.

References.

  1. Victorian Places, 2023, <https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/tatyoon>, viewed 27th March 2023.

Rossbridge Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2429

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It was now Tuesday 28th February 2023, and we would be leaving Stawell and heading to Geelong. Along the way we planned on activating a number of parks for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program and silos for the Silos On The Air (SiOTA) program.

After having breakfast in Stawell, Marija and I travelled to the Rossbridge Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2429

Above:- Map showing the location of Rossbridge. Map c/o Google maps.

The town of Rossbridge was established on the Ararat to coast Road during the 1860s. It was named after Ross’s Bridge at the crossing of the Hopkins River. The bridge was named after John Ross, the selector of the Mount William Plains 20,000-acre pastoral run.

The Hopkins River is a perennial river of the Glenelg Hopkins catchment which rises below Telegraph Hill near Ararat and flows south for 271 km and is joined by twelve tributaries. This includes Mount Emu Creek. The Hopkins River eventually joins its mouth and empties into Bass Strait at Warnambool.

A church, a school and numerous residences had been established at Rossbridge by the 1870s. The Rossbridge Post office opened on the 21st day of November 1873. It closed in March 1962.

Above:- the township of Rossbridge. Image c/o Trove.

On the 9th day of February 1863, a tragedy struck the Rossbridge area when four children died after the shepherd’s hut they were sleeping in caught fire. The children john aged 9, William aged 6, Elizabeth aged 4, and Michael aged 2, were the children of Michael Murphy and Catherine Murphy nee Toland. They were buried on the bank of Hopkins River at what was then Gledefield Station. There is a memorial on private property on the Mortlake-Ararat Road. The actual burial site remained unmarked for many years until a landowner became aware of the death of the children and erected a fence around the site. The Ararat Historical Society subsequently erected a plaque.

The old Rossbridge school and church remain today. The school is a private residence.

The Rossbridge Wildlife Reserve is about 148 acres in size. It is located on the northern side of Grange Road. Its northern boundary abuts the Hopkins River.

Above:- An aerial shot showing the Rossbridge Wildlife Reserve. Map c/o Protected Planet

There is a park sign, but it is in poor condition and could be easily missed. The park is generally grassland with some low-lying trees.

Marija and I found an open gate and a track at the southwestern corner of the park. We drove along the track and set up the 20/40/80m linked dipole. It was an overcast and chilly morning, so we operated from inside the 4WD.

We found band conditions to be very poor, although we both managed to get 10 QSOs to qualify the park for the VKFF program.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5HS
  2. VK2EXA
  3. VK4HNS
  4. VK2YPU
  5. VK4NH
  6. VK4DXA
  7. VK1AO
  8. VK2MET
  9. VK5FANA
  10. VK2FALL/p
  11. VK3PF

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK5HS
  2. VK2EXA
  3. VK4HNS
  4. VK2YPU
  5. VK4NH
  6. VK4DXA
  7. VK1AO
  8. VK2MET
  9. VK5FANA
  10. VK2FALL/p
  11. VK3PF

I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF
  2. VK3ANL
  3. VK2EXA
  4. VK5BJE
  5. VK5HS

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4TJ
  2. VK1AO
  3. VK2MET
  4. VK4NH
  5. VK4DXA

References.

  1. ozburials, 2023, <http://www.ozburials.com/CemsVic/rossbridge.htm#>, viewed 27th March 2023.
  2. 1849 Squattters Directory of the Port Phillip District, 2023, <https://www.portphillipdistrict.info/1849_Directory.htm>, viewed 27th March 2023.
  3. Protected Planet, 2023, <https://www.protectedplanet.net/314841>, viewed 27th March 2023.
  4. Wikipedia, 2023, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossbridge>, viewed 27th March 2023.
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