Wireless Hill

Many keen orchid hunters descended on Wireless Hill today.  It's the season! We managed to find a few in spite of (or because of) the crowds.

JL found a handy seat
(actually a concrete anchor for holding the wireless cable in place)

Some History

In 1909 the Commonwealth Government decided that wireless telegraphy stations should be established around the coastline of Australia, and in 1910 awarded the contract for the Perth station to Australasian Wireless Ltd. Clearing of the site and construction began in 1911, with the Applecross Wireless Station completed and officially opened on 30 September 1912. Initially the station was used for communications with shipping. This included transmission of weather forecasts, news bulletins and time signals, sending medical advice to ships with no doctors aboard, and monitoring for distress calls.  In wartime, the station monitored enemy shipping. Initially all radio transmissions used Morse code; the technology to transmit voice was developed in the 1920s, and even then Morse code was still the primary method for long distances up until the station closed in 1968. Local residents commonly referred to the area as Wireless Hill, (Wikipedia).

Kangaroo Paws

White Spider Orchid

Red Spider Orchid

Rattlebeak  Orchid

Donkey Orchids

More Rattlebeaks

Cats Paw and Granny Bonnets

Potted orchid at home

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At Ninghan Station, 350 km north of Perth, there is apparently a great show of everlastings - according to the weekend paper:
Ninghan Station: nature-ablaze-in-colour