Mr Dale Main has completed seven periods of service with ANARE in the Technical Telecommunications area. At Casey in 1988 he played a major part in the successful transfer of the telecommunications infrastructure from the old “Tunnel Station” to the new station. Dale was responsible for the installation of all telecommunications equipment and cabling in the Operations Building, an extensive task on which he often worked long hours to ensure that each part of the project was completed to his extremely high standards.

During his two periods of service at Macquarie Island he initiated and later implemented major improvements to the island’s VHF radio repeater network. These improvements enhanced the reliability of the network and provided an increased safety net for personnel working in the field. The environment on Macquarie Island is cold, wet and windy, and Dale often had to work long hours in conditions of great personal discomfort.

A characteristic of his service has been his willingness to take on extra duties, and give freely of his time, to assist other expeditioners and further the program goals. He has taken on the additional roles of projectionist, operating theatre assistant, station photographer, fire team member, Environment Officer, boating operator, Field Equipment Officer and Search and Rescue (SAR) Leader.

Dale has a commitment to supporting scientific programs. He has invested a great deal of his spare time at each station in assisting field scientists to conduct their research. At Heard Island he spent many days assisting botanists working in the field. Among other things this involved the collecting, sorting and counting of 7563 Poa annua plants, a task which would have taken an extremely long time without his assistance and cause a senior scientist to be prevented from undertaking other research. Again he often worked in cold, wet and windy conditions at great personal discomfort.

In all his periods of service Dale has shown the attention to detail, willingness to give his time, and concern for others that typifies his approach to ANARE work and life and which stand as excellent examples to others of the true ANARE spirit.

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