VK Shires Contest

A hunt for Australian shires: 24 hours from 0000 UTC on the June weekend before the second Monday, with VK stations sending their shire.

Rules at wia.org.auThe rules are the sponsor's. This page holds the dates and the facts.

When it runs

Second Monday of June

0000Z Saturday → 0000Z Sunday

Times are UTC, as the sponsor states them.

Next runnings

0000Z Sat 12 Jun → 0000Z Sun 13 Jun · 24h2027
in 253 days
Logs due 0000Z Sun 27 Jun
0000Z Sat 10 Jun → 0000Z Sun 11 Jun · 24h2028
in 617 days
Logs due 0000Z Sun 25 Jun
0000Z Sat 9 Jun → 0000Z Sun 10 Jun · 24h2029
in 981 days
Logs due 0000Z Sun 24 Jun
0000Z Sat 8 Jun → 0000Z Sun 9 Jun · 24h2030
in 1345 days
Logs due 0000Z Sun 23 Jun

Operating

Modes: SSB / CW
Bands: 160m80m40m20m15m10m
160 Metres, 80 Metres, 40 Metres, 20 Metres 15 Metres, 10 Metres. Please note there is 75m DX window permitted for VK stations
Exchange: VK stations send RS(T) and their VK shire abbreviation; stations outside VK send RS(T) and their CQ zone
Logs: Cabrillo · due 14 days after the end · vklogchecker.com
Who can enter: Anyone, anywhere.
WIA: 'VK amateurs are to work the world including VK, whilst the rest of the world can only work VK'. To enter you must have worked at least one VK shire.

Where this comes from

Checked against the sponsor: Yes. The rule on this page was read off WIA's own published rules. Link last confirmed 2026-08-17.
What the source says: wia.org.au (VK Shires Contest rules): 'Held the Saturday and Sunday of the weekend prior to the second Monday of June every year.' and 'Starts: 00.00 UTC (10am EST)Saturday Ends: 00:00 UTC Sunday (10am EST)'. Bands and modes: 'B) Modes: SSB and CW only'. Exchange: 'All VK operators to exchange callsign, RS(T) followed by the VALID VK shire abbreviation as per the official list provided' and 'Stations outside VK to exchange callsign, RS(T) followed by CQ ZONE.' Logs: 'within 14 days of the end of the contest@ 0000 UTC' via vklogchecker.com. Checked against the dates WIA prints on the same page: the second Monday of June 2027 is June 14, so the weekend before is June 12-13, which is what WIA lists.
Recorded caveats: The recurrence is anchored to the second Monday of June -- a public holiday in most of Australia -- and the contest runs on the Saturday and Sunday before it, which is why the offsets are negative. Foundation and other QRP entrants have their own category at 10 watts.

Something wrong? How to report it — a link to the sponsor's own page is all it takes.

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