After Blue Mountain, it was off to our next summit for Tuesday 21st November 2023, Point 756 Pyrenees VK3/ VS-018. The summit is about 29 km (by road) west of Avoca and about 211 km northwest of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of Point 756 Pyrenees. Image c/o Google Maps.
On our way to the summit, quite a few fallen trees were encountered, but fortunately, they proved no difficulty for the 4WD.
Point 756 Pyrenees is about 756 metres above sea level and is located in the Pyrenees Range.
Above:- An aerial view of Point 756 Pyrenees. Image c/o Google Maps.
It is worth 4 points for the Summits On The Air (SOTA) program. It has been activated a total of 16 times. (SOTA 2024)
We accessed the summit via Sanderson Track which runs off Main Break. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation.
Our next activation for Tuesday 21st November 2023 was the Landsborough Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2129 and Blue Mountain VK3/ VS-015.
Above:- Map showing the location of the park and summit. Map c/o Google Maps.
Landsborough is a Parish in western Victoria.
Above:- The Parish of Landsborough. Image c/o Mapshare Victoria.
Gold mining commenced in the Landsborough area between 1853 and 1855 with several small discoveries of gold. The first gold diggings were the Malakofff Lead, believed to have been named after the 1855 battle of Malakoff in Crimea. It was also known as Crowlands Diggings. Its first major rush was in 1856 by diggers from the nearby Fiery Creek gold diggings. In 1858 another rich lead was discovered and this was known as Glasgow Lead. A small village known as Edinburgh was formed. Other miners were actively working at Barkly Flat to the east of Landsborough. (Victorian Goldfields Project 1999)
In September 1862 the Landsborough Rush commenced and this resulted in a significant increase in the population, including miners from surrounding goldfields. This particular discovery was significant enough for a town to be developed. It was named Landsborough after William Landsborough (c. 1825. d. 1886) who led an 1861 expedition to search for explorers Burke and Wills. (Victorian Goldfields Project 1999) (Victorian Places 2024) (Wikipedia 2024)
Above:- William Landsborough. Image c/o Wikipedia.
In 1862 the population of Landsborough was between 8,000 to 9,000 people. In 1864 a school was opened. In 1865 Bailliere’s Victorian gazetteer recorded Landsborough as having several hotels, a bank and an insurance office, a brewery and a quartz-crushing mill. (Victorian Places 2024)
By May 1863 the Landsborough Rush was over. The miners were drawn away from Landsborough to several other gold rushes culminating with the 1864 Great Western Rushes. (Victorian Goldfields Project 1999)
The park and summit are located in the Pyrenees Range. Explorer and surveyor Major Thomas Mitchell was the first European recorded to have travelled through the Pyrenees. This was in 1836 during his Australia Felix expedition. He named the mountains the Pyrenees after the Pyrenees in Europe. (Forest Notes 2004)
Above:- Major Thomas Mitchell. Image c/o Wikipedia.
The summit Blue Mountain which qualifies for the Summits On The Air (SOTA) program is located in the southern section of the Landsborough Nature Conservation Reserve.
Above:- An aerial view of the park showing the location of the summit of Blue Mountain. Image c/o Google Earth.
The Landsborough Nature Conservation Reserve is about 3,374 hectares in size and was established on the 24th day of August 1982. (CAPAD 2022)
Blue Mountain is 772 metres above sea level and is worth 4 points in the SOTA program. It has been activated 21 times. I have previously activated this summit. (SOTA 2024)
Above:- An aerial shot showing Bluee Mountain. Image c/o Google Maps.
The summit is located near the junction of Landsborough Ridge Track and Blue Mountain Track. We set up in a clearing amongst the tall trees alongside Blue Mountain Track. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.
We found the 40m band to be extremely noisy with severe static crashes.
I would like to apologise to Graham VK3ZSC for not logging him during this activation. Unfortunately, Graham was struggling to hear us and an unknown station relayed the signal reports, which made the contact void. PLEASE, do not relay signal reports or callsigns. You may think you are helping, but you are not.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK5HS
VK5IS
VK2DG
VK3CA
VK3DCQ
VK2HHA
VK3UAO/p (Wilsons Hill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-0539)
VK2IO/p (SOTA VK1/ AC-039)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK5HS
VK5IS
VK2DG
VK3CA
VK3DCQ
VK2HHA
VK5FB
VK3MTT
VK3DAC
VK4FE/3
VK2MOE
VK3VIN
VK5CZ
VK2RK
VK3EJ
VK2EXA
VK7XX
VK7HBR
VK7AN
VK3APJ
VK3CLD/p (Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269)
VK3BEL
VK3UAO/p (Wilsons Hill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-0539)
Our second activation for Tuesday 21st November 2023 was the Percydale Bushland Reserve VKFF-4274. The reserve is located about 9km northwest of Avoca and about 190 km northwest of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Percydale Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
The Percydale area was originally called Fiddlers Creek. Alluvial gold was mined in the area from around 1854. In 1869 there was a second find of gold in the area and this resulted in an increase in the population to about 2,000 people. In 1870 a school was opened. The goldfield had a substantial number of Chinese miners. During the 1870s a pork butchery and a Chinese hotel were operating at Percydale. During the 1870s several mines opened in the area. The Raggedy Gully lead produced the last big gold rush in the area in 1871, drawing about 1,000 miners to the district. (Victorian Places 2024)
In a June 1869 article that appears in The Avoca Mail, the correspondent wrote:
“Would any of your readers see the city of Canton in miniature? Let them visit Fiddler’s Creek, Grantsvale, or Percy vale, for by all these names the new diggings are known. The “Ho Lam” or poor quarter of the great Mongol city is there fairly represented, for although baked dogs, cats, rats, and other savory morsels are not to be found at Fiddler’s Creek, the front elevations of the butcher’s shops and eating houses are decorated with huge porkers, cooked whole, while fowls of questionable ownership and other delicacies are hung up to tempt the expatriated disciples of Confucius.”
Above:- part of an article from The Avoca Mail, Sat 26 Jun 1869. Image c/o Trove.
The Percydale area has produced over 700,000 ounces of gold, mostly from the alluvial deposits. (Core Prospecting 2024)
In 1873 the area was known as Percydale. It is believed that it was named after Percy Warburton Carr (b. 1866. d. 1832), the son of Police Magistrate Charles Warburton Carr. (Blake 1978)
Charles Warburton Carr was born in 1824 in Dublin, Ireland. He emigrated to Australia. In 1854 he was appointed Secretary to the Goldfields Commission of Enquiry following the Eureka Stockade. Between 1856 to 1858 he was the Clerk of Papers in the Victorian Legislative Council. In 1869 he was appointed Police Magistrate for the colony and was based in Avoca. He also performed the role of Goldlfield’s Warden and Coroner. He was also the Commissioner of the Yarra Valley goldfields and protector to the aborigines, and ‘Chinese Protector.’ He died in 1864 and is buried in the Avoca cemetery. Sadly he has no headstone as the family were described as “not in very good circumstances” due to Warburton cancelling his insurance a few years prior to his death. (Find a Grave 2024)
Above:- Charles Warburton Carr. Image c/o Find a Grave.
Before activating the park Marija and I drove the Percydale Goldfields Heritage Tour route.
Our first stop on the route was Daly’s Cottage.
James Daly was born in 1826 in Limerick, Ireland. He emigrated to Australia and married Eliza Martin in 1863. They had six children. James built Daly’s Cottage in 1865. The walls of the cottage are built from fiddle-back red gum located in the district and cut by the men. The red gum was then smoothed out by the women with adzes. An adze is an ancient cutting tool similar to an axe however the cutting edge is perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Handmade bricks were used on the pantry floor and the walls were lined with newspaper, hessian, and wallpaper. The cottage was lived in until the 1930s. (ancestry.com 2024) (Melbourne Playgrounds 2024) (Wikipedia 2024)
We also stopped to have a look at the old Slate dairy. There were several slate mines in the Percydale area. Thomas Lane Hellings (b. 1854. d. 1927) used locally quarried slate to build the dairy. (Melbourne Playgrounds 2024)
There are several other points of interest along the route. A Touring guide can be downloaded from the internet.
We also stopped to have a look at the old Union Jack Mine site which was mined during the 1870s. (Goldfields Guide 2024)
We then backtracked to Percydale Road and activated the Percydale Bushland Reserve. We accessed the reserve via a narrow strip on the southern side of the road.
We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the VKFF program.
Above:- An aerial view of the reserve showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-
VK2IO/p (Namadgi National Park VKFF-0377 & SOTA VK1/ AC-008)
VK3UAO/p (Wood Point Flora Reserve VKFF-2489)
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK2MOE
VK7AAE
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK7ZA
Marija worked the following station on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-
VK2IO/m (Namadgi National ParkVKFF-0377)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB before the UTC rollover:-
VK2IO/p (Namadgi National Park VKFF-0377 & SOTA VK1/ AC-008)
VK3UAO/p (Wood Point Flora Reserve VKFF-2489)
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK2MOE
VK7AAE
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK7ZA
VK2EXA
VK3IMS
VK8MS/3
VK3DAC
VK4FE/3
VK3BPH
VK2DG
VK3HBG
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB after the UTC rollover:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3VIN
VK3APJ
VK2MRF
VK2EXA
VK3CJN
VK3SMW
VK7AAE
VK2IO/m (Namadgi National Park VKFF-0377)
VK5FB
VK3CEO
VK2VAR
VK2GOM
VK3YV
VK3TNL
I worked the following stations on 40m AM after the UTC rollover:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB before the UTC rollover:-
VK1AO
VK2MET
VK7AAE
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK7XX
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB after the UTC rollover:-
VK1AO
VK2MET
VK7XX
VK7AAE
VK4NH
VK4DXA
ZL1TM
KG5CIK
After the activation Marija and I drove to Governor Rock and the lookout tower. Along the way, we enjoyed some magnificent views of the local vineyards with the mountains in the background.
There is a small parking area on No. 2 Creek Track and a 200m track leading to the lookout tower offering magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.
We then stopped at Governor Rock. Unfortunately, it is not signposted, so you have to keep a close lookout for this small but impressive platform rock extending out over the cliff beside the road.
The Governor of Victoria, Sit Rohan Delacombe (b. 1906. d. 1991), stood on this rock on the 4th day of December 1964 on his visit to commemorate the centenary of Avoca Shire. (Aust Dict of Biography 2024) (Visit Pyrenees 2024)
Above:- Sir Rohan Delacombe. Image c/o State Library Victoria
It was time to get some lunch and Marija and I decided to call into the Blue Pyrenees Winery. We enjoyed a few glasses of sparkling red and a magnificent platter of cold meat, cheeses, dips, etc.
We then headed to our next activation of the day, Blue Mountain.
Anon, (n.d.). Core Prospecting – The Small Scale Mining Specialists | The small scale mining specialists. [online] Available at: https://coreprospecting.com.au/ [Accessed 2 Mar. 2024].
Our first activation for Tuesday 21st November 2023 was the Yehrip Bushland Reserve VKFF-4273. The park is just 7 km to the northwest of Avoca and about 188 km northwest of Melbourne.
After leaving Avoca we headed north and crossed over the Avoca River.
Our drive took us through beautiful farming country with views of the Pyrenees.
Yehrip is a Parish in Victoria. Yehrip is an aboriginal word for paperbark. (Blake 1978)
Above:- Map showing the Parish of Yehrip. Map c/o Mapshare Vic website.
Parks Victoria has a page on their website for this park but it contains no information about the park other than a park boundary image.
The park is about 7 hectares in size and was established on the 24th day of August 1982. (CAPAD 2022)
We set up in a clearing amongst the scrub off the Robinson-Percydale Road. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.
Above:- An aerial view of the park showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.
Band conditions on 40m were absolutely terrible and we scraped up just 11 contacts each on that band. At least we qualified the park for the VKFF program (10 contacts), but this is a park we will need to return to at some stage to get the required 44 QSOs to qualify the park for the global WWFF program.
Our final activation for Monday 20th November 2023 was the Avoca Riflerange Bushland Reserve VKFF-4271. The park is just 2 km to the east of Avoca and about 184 km northwest of Melbourne.
The park is about 103 hectares in size and was established on the 25th day of November 1982. (CAPAD 2022)
Above:- An aerial view of the park with the town of Avoca in the background. Image c/o Google Maps.
We accessed the park via a 4WD track that ran off Barnett Street.
Above:- An aerial view of the reserve showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.
We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event call of VI10VKFF. It was late evening when we set up and by the time we were ready to pack up it was completely dark.
After booking into our accommodation at Avoca and dropping off most of our gear, we decided to activate the Avoca Bushland Reserve VKFF-4270 and the Avoca silo VK-AVA3.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Avoca Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
Close to the Avoca silo is the old Avoca railway station that was located on the old Avoca to Maryborough line operated by the Victorian Railways. The station was built in 1876 by J Summerland. The station consists of a hip-roofed red brick building. The goods shed is gable roofed and is constructed of brick with bluestone coping. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Database. (Victorian Heritage Database 2024)
The Avoca silo is part of the Australian Silo Art Trail. It was Australia’s 47th silo to be included in the Trail. The artwork on the silo commenced in March 2021 and is the work of artist Jimmi Buscombe. The images on the silo include the endangered Barking Owl and the vulnerable Brush-tailed Phascogale. The silo features a night interactive element which I will talk about in a future post. (Australian Silo Art 2024)
The Avoca Bushland Reserve is about 25 hectares in size and consists of five separate sections. The reserve was established on the 26th day of February 2002. (CAPAD 2022)
The Parks Victoria website has a page re this reserve but it contains no information about the reserve other than a park boundary image.
Where we set up in the park there was a lake and it was alive with birdlife. Some of my ‘average’ photographs can be seen below.
Whilst taking some bird photographs I saw my very first Antechinus in the wild. Antechinus is a small marsupial which is often mistaken for mice. I was very excited to see one and he/she was not camera shy.
We set up in a clearing amongst the scrub on Slaughterhouse Road. We ran the Yaesu FT847, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.
Above:- An aerial view of the Avoca Bushland Reserve showing our operating spot. Image c/o Google Earth.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
VK3PI
VK3SG
VK3GB
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK2HHA
VK1AO
VK2MET
VK3PF
VK3KAI
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
VK3PI
VK3SG
VK3GB
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK2HHA
VK1AO
VK2MET
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK5WF
VK3DAC
VK4FE/3
VK3ALH
VK3GJG
VK2HRX
VK3YV
VK3TNL
VK2EXA
VK4EMP
VK4TI
VK3OAK
VK3TDX
VK7DW
ZL4NVW/p
VK3CLD
VK3MLU
VK3ACU
VK3WMF/m
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
ZL4NVW/p
VK5HS
F1BLL
VK6LMK
VK4EMP
VK4TI
VK3OAK
VK4NH
VK4DXA
UT5PI
OH1MM
IK4IDF
IK1GPG
VK4EW
IW2BNA
IK3HMB
SQ9CW
IW2NXI
I worked the following station on 40m AM:-
VK4EW
With the park qualified we headed back to Avoca to have a quick walk around the main street to view some of the historic buildings and then get some dinner.
Avoca has one of the widest streets in Australia and has a large median strip that consists of a parkland and a war memorial. (Aussie Towns 2024)
The traditional owners of the land around Avoca are the Dja Dja Wurrung aboriginal people. (Avoca 2024)
Explorer Major Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (b. 1792. d. 1855) embarked on his Australia Felix journey in 1836. Australia Felix is Latin for ‘fortunate Australia’ or ‘happy Australia.’ He discovered a branch of the Avon River and named it Avon after the Vale of Avoca in Wicklow Country, Ireland. (Victorian Places 2024)
Above:- Major Thomas Mitchell. Image c/o Wikipedia.
The Vale of Avoca is a river valley about 3 km from the village of Avoca (Irish: Abhóca). It is known as the “Meeting of the Waters” where the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers join to form the Avoca River. (Frommers 2024)
Above:- The Vale of Avoca, Ireland, c. 1890. Image c/o Wikipedia.
Gold was discovered at Four Mile Flat near Homebush Flat northeast of Avoca in October 1853. A few months later the main lead at Avoca had been discovered. By the end of 1853, there were about 2,200 miners in the district. This had increased to about 16,000 by the middle of 1854. A Wesleyan school was opened in 1855, followed by a National school in 1857. A sub-treasury building was built in 1859 and the District of Avoca was proclaimed on the 25th day of March 1859. In that same year, a courthouse was built followed by a town hall in 1861. By 1865 Avoca had six hotels, a bank, and the Avoca Mail newspaper. The Avoca Shire was proclaimed on the 28th day of December 1864. (Avoca 2024) (Victorian Places 2024)
Above:- Article from the Geelong Advertiser, Sat 29 Oct 1853. Image c/o Trove.
Below is a link to an excellent video on the history of Avoca.
Avoca is a beautiful little town that services the local region. The video below gives you a good feel of what the town looks like.
The Albion Hotel was built in 1868 and operated as a hotel until its closure on New Year’s Eve in 1937. It is now a private residence.
The State Savings Bank building was built in 1924. It was built to the design of Melbourne architects Godfrey and Spowers. It is now the Salvation Army thrift shop.
The Avoca Hotel was built in 1870. It is one of only a few buildings in Avoca to have operated continuously since 1870. The current building is built on the site of the original Avoca Hotel built in 1854.
The original Avoca Hotel was built by Mr Beazeley in 1855. It was the first public house in Avoca. In 1856 C.K. Pearson purchased the hotel. By 1866 James Smith was operating the Avoca Hotel and in 1870 he released plans on constructing a larger and more impressive hotel on the site. (Avoca Shire Heritage Study 1993)
The prefabricated two-storey section of the old hotel was sold and the timber section was demolished. The architect for the new Avoca Hotel was William Atkinson and required 100,000 bricks to complete. During the 1800’s the hotel was the site of several inquests and special events including a performance by the Melbourne Opera Company in 1865. During the 1880’s the hotel had both a doctor and dentist consulting rooms. The Avoca Hotel was the local depot for Cobb & Co. coaches. (Avoca Shire Heritage Study 1993)
Above:- part of an advertisement in The Avoca Mail, Tue 17 Feb 1880. Image c/o Trove.
Below is a photograph of the Avoca Hotel, c. 1917.
Above:- The Avoca Hotel, c. 1917. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
The Victoria Hotel was built during the late 1850s. The hotel’s stables were built in 1872. The hotel was partially rebuilt during the 1930s. (Avoca Shire Heritage Study 1993)
Above:- Advertisement from The Avoca Mail, Tues 17 Feb 1880. Image c/o Trove.
The Herlihy Grocery and Drapery store was built c. 1870. Between 1870 and 1873 the building was operated by a tea merchant, H. Brooks. Later in 1886, it became a grocery and drapery store operated by Mrs. Kate Herlihy until 1915. By the 1920s Mr Henderson ran a fruit and vegetable store from the building. During the 1960s Bill Burke operated a barber shop from the building. (Avoca Shire Heritage Study 1993)
The small Savings Bank building stands right alongside the Avoca Hotel. It was built in c. 1912.
At the time of its construction, there was considerable discussion about it being located alongside the hotel. Despite this, construction went ahead. (Avoca Shire Heritage Study 1993)
Above:- Article from The Ballarat Star, Fri 5 Apr 1912. Image c/o Trove.
The Bank of Victoria building was built in 1912. It was built to continue service as the Bank of Victoria following from the former building.
Below is a view along High Street Avoca, c. 1948, showing the Bank of Victoria in the foreground.
Above:- High Street Avoca, c. 1948. Image c/o State Library Victoria.
The Avoca War Memorial was built in 1921 to honour the men from Avoca who fought during the First World War. A total of 137 men from Avoca served during WWI and of those 29 were killed in action. The Memorial was designed as a band rotunda “with eight piers carrying a roof obscured by a parapet. It cost £1,100 to build. (Avoca Shire Heritage Study 1993) (Aussie Towns 2024)
Below is a great photo of a Model T Ford parked alongside the Avoca War Memorial, c. 1925.
Above:- A Model T Ford parked alongside the Avoca War Memorial. Image c/o Museums Victoria.
The Bakery and Tearooms were built c. 1860. From 1860 the north shop commenced as the first bakery in Avoca. Later both shops joined to become tearooms until the 1930s.
The Avoca Newsagency was built in 1887. The site was originally occupied by a hay and corn store. The present building was opened as a stationery shop. The store continues to operate as a newsagency.
The Avoca Post Office was built in 1872. It is one of Avoca’s most prominent public buildings and has provided postal services for over 120 years.
In a shop window, we found a magnificent model railway collection.
Unfortunately, the hotel was closed so it was off to the local takeaway for some dinner.
Our next activation for Monday 20th November 2023, was the Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2198. The reserve is located about 20 km south of St Arnaud and about 225 km northwest of Melbourne.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.
The Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve is a large park and is about 2,589 hectares in size. It was established on the 26th day of February 2002. (CAPAD 2022)
Above:- An aerial view of the Stuart Mill NCR. Image c/o Google Earth.
Stuart Mill is named in honour of John Stuart Mill (b. 1806. s. 1873), an English philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. (Wikipedia 2024) Other sources state that the name comes from Stuart Haggerty a flour mill manager. However, this is doubtful, as the town of Stuart Mill was gazetted in 1865 and the flour mill was established in 1872. (Victorian Places 2024)
Above:- John Stuart Mill. Image c/o Wikipedia.
Alluvial gold was discovered at Stuart Mill in 1861. By 1869 Stuart Mill’s population had boomed. Various sources put the population at between 1,000 to 7,500 people. Stuart Mill had several shops, houses, a Wesleyan chapel and a school built in 1870. By 1872 mining activity at Stuart Mill had declined, and a quartz-crushing plant was converted to a flour mill. (Victorian Places 2024)
Above:- part of an article from The Argus, Melbourne, Sat 19 Dec 1868. Image c/o Trove.
Part of the Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve’s western boundary abuts the Kara Kara National Park.
We accessed the park via Stuart Mill Low Road. We found a nice clearing amongst the scrub. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole for this activation. I used the special event callsign of VI10VKFF.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK3SG
VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
VK3CLD/p (Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269)
Marija worked the following stations on 40m AM:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK2EXA
VK5HS
VK3DCQ
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK2IO/p (Brindabella National Park VKFF-0054)
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK3SG
VK2HHA
VK2EXA
VK3DJC
VK3DCQ
VK3VIN
VK3BEL/p (Tocumwal Regional Park VKFF-0978)
VK3CLD/p (Kosciuszko National Park VKFF-0269)
Vk5HS
VK3CEO
VK3TDX
VK3YV
VK3TNL
VK2CDB
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK3ZMD
Vk3ACZ
VK3DAC
VK4FE/3
VK5FANA
VK3HBG
VK3RM
VK3SO
VK3TBS
VK3UCD
Vk3NRB
VK3FREB
VK3GB
VK5KKT
VK3UZI
I worked the following stations on 40m AM:-
VK3PF
VK3KAI
VK3SQ
VK2BD
VK2EXA
VK5HS
VK3DCQ
VK3YV
VK3TNL
VK5FANA
VK3DAC
VK4FE/3
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
VK4NH
VK4DXA
VK1AO
VK2MET
KG5CIK
After our park activation, we visited the Stuart Mill cemetery which is listed on the List of the World’s best cemeteries. Yes, there is such a list. The cemetery was gazetted in 1865 and contains several wooden tablets as grave markers which are rare surviving examples of 1800s grave architecture. There are also Chinese digger graves, some impressive monuments, and a soldier’s memorial. (Goldfields Guide 2024)
One of the impressive sites in the cemetery is the large granite block monument to the MacDonnell family.
Donald Charles MacDonnell was born in January 1862 at Stuart Mill. His parents were Alexander MacDonnell (b. 1826. d. 1907) and Christina MacDonnell nee MacMaster (b. 1832. d. 1897). They were both from Inverness Shire, Scotland and had emigrated to Australia. He initially assisted on his parent’s farm and in 1886 moved to New South Wales. He was an early member of the Shearer’s Union and played a leading role in the 1891 strike. In 1894 he assisted in drafting the rule for the Australian Workers Union (AWU) and in that same year he became Secretary of the Shearers Union Bourke branch and also a member of the Australian Labor Pary. From 1900 to 1911 he was the General Secretary of the AWU. In 1902 MacDonnell was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Cobar. He served in that position until 1911. MacDonnell was the Minister for Agriculture and Colonial Secretary from 1910 to 1911. He died in 1911 in Melbourn e, Victoria, and is buried at Stuart Mill. (Academic 2024)
Above:- Donald Charles MacDonnell. Image c/o MacKintosh MacDonald Family tree, http://www.ancestry.com.au
We then drove out to the Lower Teddington and Upper Teddington Reservoirs. The Upper Teddington Reservoir is over 130 years old and was originally created to provide water to the town of St Arnaud. (Parks Victoria 2024)
We then travelled south along the Sunraysia Highway to Avoca where we had planned to spend three nights. We booked into our accommodation at the Avoca Caravan Park.
VK5PAS 