Campbell Hill Deep Creek, South Australia, Australia
By Geocaching Australia on 25-Sep-09. Waypoint TP5041

Cache Details

Difficulty:
Terrain:
Type: TrigPoint
Container: Other
Coordinates: S35° 38.387' E138° 9.067' (WGS 84)
  54H 242039E 6052264N (UTM)
Elevation: 289 m
Local Government Area: Yankalilla

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Description

A Trig Point is a virtual cache which requires a cacher to locate the Trigonometric Station at GZ.

A trig point (also known as a Trigonometric Station) typically consists of a black disc on top of four metal legs or concrete pillar, resembling a navigation beacon. It is also accompanied by a metal disc, which is located directly below the center point of the tripod or on top of the pillar itself.

Trig points are generally located at the top of hills or points of prominence in the landscape. Many provide unique views and challenges, with some being difficult to get to.

These points were regarded as valuable to surveyors, providing reference points for measuring distance and direction, and assisting in the creation of maps.

To log a find on the Geocaching Australia website, you will need to include a picture of the trig point, along with your GPS receiver and (preferably) yourself. Long distance / telephoto type pictures are against the spirit of this cache. You are encouraged to leave a description of your journey in your log to help others in finding the trig point.

The original collection of trig points has been sourced from Geoscience Australia and may contain inaccuracies.

Please respect local laws and regulations when searching for trig points. If you believe that a trig point is located on private property or in a dangerous location, you may archive the cache, by clicking on Log this Cache and place an "Archived" log on the Geocaching Australia website.

If you feel that you can add to the description of this trig point or adjust the difficulty / terrain ratings, please feel free to edit this cache and amend the information suitably. Vandalism of the cache description or other information will result in your account being terminated.

Addtional Information
Source: J_&_J

This location is also the former site of the No 10 Radar Station, a WWII site that has been identified for potential entering in to the State Heritage List. The text below is reproduced from that survey.

After the opening of the Pacific War, the immediate fear in Australia was of attack by Japanese carrier aircraft. The response was to duplicate the British coastal air defence system. Plans were drawn up for a national chain of Advanced Chain Overseas (ACO) coastal radar stations, including sites at Ceduna, Elliston, Cowell, Whyalla, Victor Harbor and Robe in South Australia. However, by the time of the Japanese defeat at the battle of Midway in June 1942 it was apparent that Japanese naval air power would not stretch to South Australian waters, and half of these stations were never begun. Three radar stations were built at Robe, Cowell and Victor Harbor in early 1942, but never put into service.
Instead, the priority turned back to the threat to coastal shipping from German sea raiders and Japanese submarines, and a new generation of radar defences was designed to cover the sea approaches to Adelaide and the industrial cities of Spencer Gulf. By now the Chain Home stations with their timber towers were obsolete. Faced with the pressures of the Pacific war, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Australia had undertaken a rapid and drastic development program to produce lighter and more portable radar sets with longer range.
The resulting Light Weight Air Warning (LWAW) system was recognisably like modern radar sets. It had a relatively small rotating antenna and could be carried by trucks or aircraft and installed quickly in remote locations. The image it showed the operator was an easily-interpreted map view on a circular oscilloscope. (Mellor 1958, pp. 430-431; Ross 1978 p. 195) The definitive history of radar in the Second World War described it as "surely one of the most remarkable pieces of radar equipment to emerge from World War II." (Brown 1999, p. 221) The term radio direction finding (RDF) was dropped and the American name radar -short for Radio Direction and Ranging -was officially adopted to describe these systems in September 1943.
Two new LWAW radar stations were strategically located to cover the entrances to Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf. No. 7 Radar Station on Wedge Island was approved in May 1942. It was sited to cover the entrance to Spencer Gulf, where all shipping to and from Port Pirie and Whyalla passed. Operated by the RAAF, it was not operational until May 1943. No. 10 Radar Station was sited to cover Backstairs Passage and the approaches to Gulf St Vincent and Port Adelaide. It was named after the nearest town, Yankalilla, although it was actually sited nearer to Cape Jervis and sometimes known by that name. It became operational in April 1943. Both Yankalilla and Wedge Island had unobtrusive LWAW sets, camouflaged to look like ruined cottages. (Ross 1978, p. 196; Fenton 1990-1999)

The radar station was built on the bare summit of Campbell Hill, a prominent peak overlooking Cape Jervis, 308m above sea level. It consisted of a single concrete splinter-proof shelter which housed the transmitting and receiving sets, with the rotating antenna mounted on its roof, and several smaller ones housing diesel generators. There were living quarters built in a gully about a kilometre to the east. Everything was disguised to look like farm buildings from the air.
The Yankalilla radar station functioned uneventfully in terms of enemy operations for about sixteen months. The majority of the operators were Women's Australian Auxiliary Air Force personnel (WAAAFs), who were much in demand for social activities in the surrounding district, and trips by RAAF truck to dances, socials and cinema nights at Delamere, Second Valley and Rapid Bay feature prominently in reminiscences of service at No. 10 Radar Station. At the station itself, there was not much to do for recreation but shoot rabbits.
The radar station ceased operation in September 1944, but was briefly made operational again in December 1944 after the German submarine U-862 appeared off the South Australian coast. The radar stations were finally disbanded in November 1945 and their property was disposed of. (Fenton 1994, p. 25; 1999)

Logs

29-May-18
I drove on out to what is an abandoned house and property at the end of Rarkang Road, and then opened/closed the gates as I proceeded on the spur to the abandoned WW2 structures, and the Survey Marker that is still between the narrow rectangular concrete pads, that would have supported a metal tripod trig. SSM 6526x1406
1118 - 1124, Tuesday, 29 May, 2018
Not quite EIGHT years since last/first found.
 
17-Dec-16
We could not get anywhere near this trig with out passing through private property.
 
12-Jun-10
This might be on private property - not too sure.
Trig structure is gone but the survey marker is still there.
Wonder what the buildings nearby were for? They're very utilitarian looking.
 
Published
 
Yankalilla (DC) - dragonZone
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