It was now Friday 23rd August and it was to be my last day of activating on the Werrimul Victoria trip. My plans for the day were to activate some parks and then head home to Ashbourne.
My first park for the day was the Worooa Bushland Reserve VKFF-4165.
The park is located about 41 km east of Murrayville in northwest Victoria.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Worooa Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
Before heading to the park, I drove around the town of Murrayville to take a few photographs. Marija and I have visited Murrayville several times and love this little town.
Before European settlement, the Murrayville area was home to the Wergaia or Werriga Aboriginal people who lived in the Wimmera and Mallee regions. (Aussie Towns 2024)
Above:- Map of aboriginal tribal territories in Victoria. Image c/o Tirin aka Takver, WIkipedia.
In 1849 Edward Riggs White was appointed to survey the border between South Australia and Victoria. He attempted to develop a road between the Murray Darling junction and the upper Wimmera in Victoria. Between 1852 and 1862, annual depasturing licences were being issued, however few were taken up. During the 1860s cattle was being driven from Kow Plains near Murrayville to Nhill Station. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The area around Murrayville was not settled until the early 1900s. Test bores were sunk by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission to establish if there was reliable water. By 1909 selectors commenced to move into the district and began clearing scrub for farming. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The town of Murrayville was surveyed in 1910. In that same year, the Post Office opened. In 1911 a hotel was built. In 1912 a school and a mechanics institute were opened. Murrayville’s first agricultural show was held in 1917. In 1923 St Peters Lutheran church was built and in 1929 the Anglican church was consecrated (Aussie Towns 2024)
Above:- A plan of the township of Murrayville. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
Murayville is named in honour of John ‘Jack’ Murray (b. 1851 d. 1916) who was the Premier of Victoria from 1909-1912. (Aussie Towns 2024)
Above:- John Murray. Image c/o Wikipedia.
On the 4th day of May 1916, Murray was riding on his horse, along a street in Warrnambool. His horse was frightened and bolted. Murray eventually controlled the horse and upon his alighting, he collapsed and died. He was buried with a State funeral attended by nearly 2,000 people including First Nation’s people. His funeral procession was nearly 3.2 km long. (Aust. Dict. Biography 2024)
Above:- Article from the Dungog Chronicle, Tues 9 May 1916. Image c/o Trove.
The Murrayville Hotel is the town’s most impressive building. It was built in 1918.
Murrayville’s main street is evidence of what was once a thriving town.
Murrayville is home to former Olympic basketball Rachael Sporn.
And of course, Murrayville has a Bill’s horse trough
Murrayville also has a rather unusual collection of old army tanks. They are located next to the self-serve service station on the eastern side of town.
The story behind these tanks varies depending on what you read on the internet. I found some YouTube posts where it was reported that the tanks were purchased from an army disposal sale at Bandiana near Wodonga. It is reported that they were purchased for steel to be used in an engineering manufacturing business owned by Peter Peers. Two were used in his limestone surface quarry at Cowangie. Several others were sold to military collectors while another was donated to a military museum. Engines were used in other earthmoving machinery built by Peers. Armour plate from the tanks was also used to construct chain which was pulled to clear mallee scrub. (Murrayville Tank Graveyard 2017) (On Roads Less Travelled 2024)
Other sites report that the tanks were purchased in Darwin and were to be converted into tractors or bulldozers to be used by farmers for use in agricultural and earthmoving duties.
The tanks include some M3 Grant tanks.
Above:- M3 Lee/Grant tanks, Egypt, 1942. Image c/o Wikipedia.
Below is an interesting video on the M3 Lee/Grant army tank.
The story about Mr. Peter Peers is very interesting. Peter Robert Nelson Peers was born in 1911 at Fairfield, Victoria. Peter was just 4 years old when he was lost in the bush. He rode a horse to school. He studied electrical and mechanical engineering and worked on the family farm at Duddo. In 1942 he married Lucy Stella Duffin who was a teacher. They had four children. Peter had an engineering workshop in Murrayville. He also ran a school bus service. In the early 1960s he established a surface limestone quarry and crushing plant. He retired at the grand old age of 93. Peter was a life member of the Ouyen Harness Racing Club and the Murrayville Lawn Tennis Club. He was a renowned storyteller and loved music from the 1920s to 1940s. He played piano, banjo and steel guitar. Peter died in 2010 at Pinaroo, South Australia, aged 99 years. His wife Lucy of 67 years, died 4 days later. (Ancestry.com.au) (The Age 2024)
The Worooa Bushland Reserve is located on Cummings Road.
Above:- An aerial view of the Worooa Bushland Reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.
Worooa is an aboriginal word meaning ‘green’. The Reserve is about 2 hectares in size and was established on the 8th day of May 1990. (Blake 1978) (CAPAD 2022)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK3PF
- VK2IO
- VK2GEZ
- VK3TV
- VK1DI
- VK3VIN
- VK5GY
- VK3CA
- VK3HM
- VK5MAZ
- VK5CZ
- VK2EXA
- VK3MTT
- VK4FDJL
- VK4GOB
- VK3APJ
- VK3ZPF
- VK3JW
- VK2SLB
- VK2BRN
- VK2KBT
- VK5TUX
- VK3CEO
- VK3HJW
- VK3SO
- VK3SFG
- VK6XL
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
- VK1ARQ
- VK3SQ
- VK2BD
- VK3MCK
- VK4HNS
- VK3AMO
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK2SLB
- VK2BRN
- VK2KBT
- VK5MAZ
- VK4EMP
- VK4TI
- VK4GKO
- VK2KET
- VK5AYL
- VK6LK
- VK6LMK
- VK2IO
- VK2GEZ
- VK2VW
- VK2HFI
- VK2AKA
- VK2BUG
References.
- ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/ [Accessed 12 Dec 2024]
- Aussie Towns. (n.d.). Murrayville, VIC. [online] Available at: https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/murrayville-vic. [Accessed 8 Dec. 2024].
- 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 12 Dec. 2024].
- Elagabalus65 (2017). Murrayville Tank Graveyard: June 2017. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jx18KwpAVA [Accessed 12 Dec. 2024].
- Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.
- On Roads Less Travelled Off-Road Adventures (2024). WW2 tank’s Murrayville: inside and out. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FSeb7aDgzY [Accessed 12 Dec. 2024].
- rodeime (2024). WWII tanks in the Aussie bush. [online] Travel-news-photos-stories.com. Available at: https://www.travel-news-photos-stories.com/2016/01/wwii-tanks-in-aussie-bush.html [Accessed 8 Dec. 2024].
- Serle, G. (1986). Murray, John (Jack) (1851–1916). [online] Anu.edu.au. Available at: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/murray-john-jack-7710 [Accessed 12 Dec. 2024].
- The Age. (2010). Engineer helped build the Mallee. [online] Available at: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/engineer-helped-build-the-mallee-20100318-qidd.html [Accessed 12 Dec. 2024].
VK5PAS 