Antarctic Medal award acknowledges quiet achiever

A Tasmanian electronics engineer and head of the Australian Antarctic Division’s science support section, Mr Jon Reeve, of Taroona, is the sole recipient of the Australian Antarctic Medal in 2002.

The award was a public acknowledgment of Mr Reeve’s outstanding commitment and service to Australia’s Antarctic work over many years — a public acknowledgment of a quiet achiever, Dr Sharman Stone, Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the Antarctic, said.

The award was announced on Midwinters Day 2002 by the Governor-General, His Excellency the Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth AC, OBE.

Mr Reeve, whose work has underpinned major Australian Antarctic marine science projects, has spent many months at sea on the world’s roughest oceans in support of research into the Southern Ocean and its resources — a central part of Australia’s Antarctic program.

His award citation noted his dedication to the maintenance of sophisticated ship electronics and scientific equipment and his major contribution to the achievements of Australian science in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, covering the full breadth of marine science activities.

A recent success of Mr Reeve was the organisation of a major Southern Ocean voyage involving a research group of 70 from 13 countries.

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