ABC Dooen

This video is from the ABC Western Victoria's Facebook page:
"In honour of our 80th Birthday today we thought we'd share this video that was created for the #Dooen transmitter's 75th birthday"
To add a little more history to the story 

The original transmitting station building for 3WV at Dooen, was erected in 1936. It began broadcasting in February 1937. During World War II a 24-hour V.D.C. guard were posted at the site. 
The original building was demolished and replaced by the current building in 1988-89.

Some little known facts:

• the soil conductivity in different directions from the transmitter showed widely different values (this influenced the selection of the station site)

• the 201metre high radiator (a guyed structure surmounted by a horizontal armature, the base of the mast stood on a group of tubular insulators) was installed in 1937. Dooen was the first station in Victoria to operate with an armature radiator

• the transmitter upgraded in February 1937, the Standard Telephones & Cables 10 kW transmitter consisted of 2 separate units (the oscillator-modulator, and the linear power amplifier) constructed of a metal framework faced with polished slate panels. 
• In the 50s a 50 kW transmitter was installed unusually the station generated its own power on site for the 10kW transmitter. In the 30s it had a large low speed heavy engine set plant.

The Art Deco style building with portecochere (an entrance or gateway to a building large enough to permit a coach/vehicle to be driven through) was built on a 20 hectare site, it housed the transmitters, an office, lunch and change rooms, store room and workshop. Modern technology has enabled transmitters to be housed in small metal frame buildings with unattended facilities.

All this techo data comes from John Ross' "Radio broadcasting technology" book.

Caretaker George Koschmann & technician Ray Leskie outside the building in 1988

(Photo from "Road Board to restructure")

Sharing

Sharing...and acknowledging

Nowdays everything is visible on the Net, and distributing, liking, RSS, sharing & copying are part and parcel of this phenomenon.
And unfortunately issues of intellectual property and copyright breaches are also phenomenal.
With regard to posts on this blog, or Pinterest, and the like - yes we allow sharing, in fact we encourage it - but we'd like acknowledgement of where this information was obtained. 
It is just common decency to apportion credit, recognise sources, or admit the information came from elsewhere and wasn't your own work, even before entering into the murky world of what is or is not covered by copyright or intellectual property. 
And yes, permission was requested and provided to use this photograph.

Returning to Carpolac

The story that won’t go away...still on the Carpolac line

Kym Phillips commented on the post "Railways - Carpolac line" which mentioned that the Goroke Passenger service ended in 1965.

Kym found the following excerpt in "A centenary of education 1885-1985 : a history of Goroke Consolidated School", which while not saying that the passenger service continued after that date, is interesting to note that conditions for passengers must have continued to be suitable:
"In 1969 the Victorian Governor, Sir Rohan Delacombe visited the Kowree Shire. The Governor's train was stationed at Goroke for several days while the Governor and Lady Delacombe attended various functions in the area - at Edenhope, Goroke and Lake Charlegrark."

So that entailed a number of searches: firstly to see how the 'Mail-Times' covered the event - it had two articles from 22nd December

From the front page

And page 11

As well as, how did vice regal dignitaries travel in the 60s? That was a search of PROVs collection of Public Transport photographs which yielded up a variety of images.
Believe this would be the now derelict ballroom at the Flinders Street Station.

"Railways Ballroom function for Sir Rohan Delacombe"

The Royal Sleeper, don't know if it was limited to royalty or extended to royal representatives. It could be one reason why the Delacombes were based at Goroke (with a railway), and not put up at the pub.

"Sleeping compartment Heritage Carriage, Royal train, 1927"

This was included as it was titled Wimmera Buffet Carriage just to show how railway travel used to be.

"Wimmera Buffet Carriage"

Likewise this one of a rather grand Better Farming train carriage. The Better Farming trains toured the state demonstrating new equipment, and promoting improved methods to farmers.

"Better Farming Train Display. K Class loco No. 109 and various carriages & displays c1930s"

After the cessation of regular passenger services on the various local branch lines, there were still a number of special trains.
From the 'Power to the rails' book, this photo taken by Bob Wilson of an Australian Railway Exploration Association special excursion train returning from Carpolac, crossing the Wimmera River at Quantong, on 18th March 1983.

From the Western Victorian Railfan page is this image from 1985/86 of Loco D3 639 hauling a special steam train at Jeparit, on the Dimboola to Yaapeet line, showing the jumbo grain silo on the left and the station building & verandah that was demolished soon after.

Special train at Jeparit

And still on the Carpolac line - A. Ampt has commented on the much discussed Museum Victoria pic of the wheat stack at Remlaw, or is it Natimuk?

Stack of wheat bags, 1930

He says it IS at Remlaw looking east, towards Horsham. And yes there is a peppercorn in the Remlaw siding yard too!

So another road trip out to Remlaw Station Rd to see if we can line up all the elements. A road that could be the Remlaw Station Rd (or Sission St) is visible entering from the right. And is the peppercorn tree hiding the Remlaw Rd to Horsham?

Okay after a drive by here is a present day photo of Remlaw Siding looking towards Horsham.

Remlaw, the shadow is cast by one of the silos

And the verdict - yes the Museum photo is Remlaw. Even though not taken from the same height, the weigh-bridge is visible on the left, the peppercorn to its right (though strangely it appears to be shorter now & impossible to park a vehicle under), then the tall sugar-gum now with a sparser canopy, then the plantation at the paddock corner. There is a shed at the group of trees on the right which may or may not be faintly visible just above the stack.

W.O.F. 2017

This year's 'Women on Farms Gathering' is again in the region, and will be held at Harrow in the West Wimmera Shire.
The event will run for 3 days - Friday 24th to Sunday 26th March, with a variety of events, workshops, bus tours, and entertainment.

Details are on the  West Wimmera Women on Farms Gathering 2017 website, with a program list and registration form.

Once again the Library will be conducting three workshops - 
'Place-names of the Wimmera': explore the history of the Wimmera and Southern Mallee region at 'Place-names of the Wimmera', a presentation showing how explorers and surveyors named specific places – localities & towns, parishes & counties, and lakes & streams, hills & mountains across the region. It includes Aboriginal and historic etymology of some of the place names.
'Delve into your Family History : using electronic tools': learn how libraries can assist in researching local & family history using online resources such as TROVE, Find My Past, Ancestry, and PROV.
'Country Schools': a photographic journey around the Wimmera,showcasing the many and varied schools which have existed over the years.These schools also represented centres of communities often serving as churches, halls, polling booths and dance venues. Many of the now vanished schools were small one-teacher rural schools which existed for short periods of time opening, moving and closing as school-age populations waxed and waned with farming fortunes.

The presentations will be held in the Harrow Library at the Harrow Hall.
To book go to the registration page of the WOF website (registrations close on 3rd March).