A commemorative station for Australia’s worst ever natural disaster

On the anniversary of Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires, the Yarra Valley Amateur Radio Group will be setting up a field station VI3KIAH at Kinglake, one of the worst affected areas in the bushfires.

Jim Linton VK3PC picks up the story.

"This commemorative callsign has the suffix KIAH, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘beautiful place’ or ‘from a beautiful place’.

The purpose of the amateur radio activity is to acknowledge the efforts of all who fought and were involved the Black Saturday fires on the 7th of February this year, and the services provided by radio amateurs.

VI3KIAH will be at the Frank Thompson Reserve Kinglake 2pm to 8pm local time on Sunday the 7th of February.

It’s first 173 contacts will qualify for a “From the Black” QSL card – the significance of 173 is that number of people died in the disaster.

On the day VI3KIAH will be operating both VHF and HF from the club’s new emergency communications caravan that has replaced the vehicle destroyed by fire at Healesville.

The Yarra Valley Amateur Group invites those who were involved in the Black Saturday disaster and others to visit the station at Kinglake and to look for it on air.

Well done to the group for its planning of this respectful commemorative activity to occur on a day when all Victorians are asked to pause for a minute's silence for the first anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfire disaster.

Jim Linton VK3PC

Wireless Institute of Australia