VK5PAS

///////////////////////////////////////////
Mallanbool Flora Reserve VKFF-2375

Posted: 29 Apr 2021 09:03 PM PDT
https://vk5pas.org/2021/04/30/mallan...rve-vkff-2375/

After packing up at Yarrara, we headed to our third and final park for the
day, the Mallanbool Flora Reserve VKFF-2375. The park is located about 81
km west of Mildura in north-western Victoria.
This was to be the first time that Mallanbool had been activated for the
World Wide Flora Fauna

(WWFF) program.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Mallanbool Flora Reserve. Map c/o
Protected Planet.
The Parks Victoria website has little, if any information on this park on
their website. Mallanbool is about 5.16 km² in size and is a small park of
Causuarina crisata

(Belah) which is surrounded by cleared farming land.

Above:- An aerial view of the Mallanbool Flora Reserve VKFF-2375. Image
c/o Protected Planet.
Mallanbool is an aboriginal word meaning a reedy swamp. eBird have
recorded about 68 species of native bird in the park including Horsfields
Bronze-Cuckoo, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Red-backed Kingfisher, Rainbow
Bee-eater, and Australian Kestrel.
We accessed the park via Sutherland Road off Carwarp Road. There are two
signs at the intersection indicating the park.


The first contact in the log for us was a Park to Park QSO with Daryl
VK3AWA/p who was activating the Sale Common Nature Conservation Reserve
VKFF-2431.
I then moved down to 7.135 and started calling CQ. This was answered by
regular park hunters Geoff VK3SQ, Peter VK3PF, and then Rob VK2VH. Contact
number 10, qualifying the park for me for VKFF, was a QSO with Rob VK4HAT.
However, compared to the two previous activations, hunters at this park
were few and far between, despite it being a brand new park for WWFF. I
logged 18 stations from VK2, VK3, VK4, and VK5, before handing it over to
Marija.


Marija was just intent on getting her 10 contacts to qualify for VKFF and
she did that in about 4 minutes, with contacts into VK2, VK4, and VK5.
With Marija having the park under her belt, we lowered the squid pole and
removed the links for the 20m section of the antenna and headed to 14.310
where I called CQ. Just 4 contacts were logged there, all from VK4.
I was really starting to think that I would not get 44 contacts from this
park. I headed to 80m where I logged 8 stations from VK3 and VK5,
including a Park to Park with Peter VK3TKK/p who was activating the Gemmill
Swamp Wildlife Reserve VKFF-2318.
I now had 31 contacts in the log and I headed back to 40m hoping to pick up
another 13 QSOs. Fortunately I made it across the line, logging a further
18 stations. Contact number 44 was with Peter VK3GV.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB

VK3AWA/p

(Sale Common Nature Conservation Reserve
VKFF-2431)

VK5FANA
VK2VH
VK4AAC/2
VK4NH
VK4DXA
ZL4TY/VK4
VK4PDX
VK5PL
VK5CZ
VK2HHA
Marija worked the following station on 80m SSB:-

VK3TKK/p

(Gemmill Swamp WIldlife Reserve VKFF-2318)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

VK3AWA/p

(Sale Common Nature Conservation Reserve
VKFF-2431)

VK3SQ
VK3PF
VK2VH
VK4AAC/2
VK5FANA
VK2IO
VK3TKK/m
VK2HHA
VK4HAT
VK4NH
VK4DXA
ZL4TY/VK4
VK4FDJL
VK4FFABKJ7AVC/VK4
VK5CZ
VK3PI
VK5IS
VK3ZPF
VK5GY
VK1DI
VK3EJ
VK5EE
VK3YV
VK3TNL
VK5AA
VK2ACK
VK5TA
VK3KAI
VK3GV
VK2EXA
VK3SRC
VK4BXX
VK4/NN3Z
VK2NP
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

VK4NH
VK4DXA
ZL4TY/VK4
VK4HATKJ7AVC/VK4
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-

VK5AYL
VK3BBB
VK2CCP
VK5LA
VK5DW
VK3TKK/p

(Gemmill Swamp WIldlife Reserve
VKFF-2318)

VK5CZ
VK5IS
After packing up we headed back into the little town of Werrimul which has
a population of about 112 people. Werrimul is an aboriginal word believed
to mean Eagle. The main industry in Werrimull is the harvesting of garins
including wheat, barley, and oats. The area also has a strong sheep and
cattle industry.Â*
The Millewa region was opened up to farming in the 1920s. By 1923 the
railway had reached Werrimul, with the opening of the Werrimul Post office
on 24th June 1924. Much of the Werrimul area was a Soldier Settlement.
The Soldier Settlement SchemeÂ*orÂ*Soldiers Settlement Scheme, was the
settlement of land throughout parts of Australia by returning discharged
soldiers under schemes administered by the state governments after the
First and Second World Wars.
We stopped to have a look a the old Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church which
was opened in 1934. It is built of local limestone to a design that copies
the Romanesque Churches in Italy. The church is registered as a Heritage
building by the National Trust.


We also had a look at the old horse trough in Werrimul. George Bills was a
wealthy animal lover who died in 1927. He left the money in his will to
construct over 500 similar horse troughs throughout Australia.


The story of George Bills is a very interesting one.
George Bills was born in Brighton, England in 1859 and emigrated to New
Zealand in 1859. In 1873 they emigrated to Australia and settled in
Echuca. In 1882 he opened a bird dealers shop in Brisbane. By 1884 he had
married and moved to Sydney, where he went into business with his brothers
manufacturing innerspring mattresses.
George became a life member of the RSPCA in 1924. George and his wife had
no children, and following the death of George in 1927, a Trust Fund was
established, believed to be about £70-80,000. One of the purposes of the
trust, as set out in George Bills will, was to:
...construct and erect and pay for horse troughs wherever they may be of the
opinion that such horse troughs are desirable for the relief of horses and
other dumb animals either in Australasia, in the British Islands or in any
other part of the world subject to the consent of the proper authorities
being obtained.
Each horse trough cost £13 plus transport and installation, with the
majority of the troughs were installed in Victoria and New South Wales
between 1930 and 1939. An amazing man.

Above:- George Bills. Photo c/o http://www.skiptonaustralia.org/
We then headed into Mildura and booked into our accomodation, the Quest
Apartments.


After freshening up we headed down the street for something to eat. We
then headed back to our apartment. It had been another fun day of
sightseeing and park activating.


References.

Aboriginal Flora and Fauna Names of Victoria, 2001; Wesson; SeBird, 2021,
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3107791/media, viewed 30th April 2021Discover
Murray, 2021, http://www.murrayriver.com.au/werrimull, viewed 29th April
2021Protected Planet, 2021, https://www.protectedplanet.net/314740,
viewed 30th April 2021.Wikipedia, 2021,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werrimull, viewed 29th April 2021Wikipedia,
2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier_settlement_(Australia),
viewed 29th April 2021Wikipedia, 2021,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bills_horse_troughs, viewed 29th April
2021Wikipedia, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casuarina_cristata,
viewed 30th April 2021