This week at Mawson: 3 May 2024

Katabatic winds, dark skies and a frozen ocean. All this to contend with and yet still our rugged expeditioners manage to complete a questionnaire riddled with intense hurdles and logistical (logical) challenges.  Chippy extraordinaire Dicky gives us a glimpse into his extraordinary life.   

Name, title and season?

Richard 'Dicky' Heaton, Mawson Winter Carpenter, 77^th ANARE 2024

Where do you call home?

Home is a sleepy little town called Cooran in the Noosa Hinterland, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

Why did you choose to work in Antarctica?

Well, I was looking for a change. This was one of a couple of options I had on the cards. Thought it was an opportunity of a lifetime. I wasn’t getting any younger and I managed to pass the medical. Woo Hoo! So, here I am. I very glad it worked out. The other options weren’t anywhere as exciting. I do miss my kids though.

What is your position on station?

My day job is carpenter. I also moonlight as a Lay Surgical Assistant and in my spare time, run the Hydroponics Department.

What was your favourite subject in school?

Loved woodwork and art the most. Oh, and tech drawing.

If you could pick a superpower to have, what would it be?

Hmmm … Xray vision or maybe eternal youth. They would be handy!

First music concert you went to?

Kim Wilde. I was right up front and she touched my outreached hand. I didn’t wash that hand for months! Lol.

If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I make a really mean spaghetti bolognaise. I could live on that but would get sick of it quick. Variety is the spice of life! So, prefer not to have the same meal.

What projects are you intending to start down here on station?

Well, I have a half rebuilt Land Rover Defender in the shed at home and I have designed a completely new dash for it. So, I have been working on modelling the new dash in CAD so I can CNC it all out when I get home. Unfortunately, my CNC wouldn’t fit in Econ. I also have been playing around with video editing and documenting my adventures down home for all my family and friends to watch. Those, and I have been obsessing over jigsaw puzzles!

What are some surprising things about your job in Antarctica?

How dry it is down here. It is a constant battle to keep hydrated. The utter vastness of it all. The pictures and videos you take just doesn’t demonstrate the reality. Mind blowing!

If you could add another question to this cutting-edge piece of award-winning prose, what would it be?

I would ask if you felt you would do another season after this one. I’m sitting on the fence at the moment. It is awesome being here and the money is great. But it is a long time away from my kids. They grow so very fast and I do feel I’m missing a lot.  Might feel differently when I get home and they’re driving me crazy again. Lol.

In the spirit of conservation Mawson Station recently came together to commemorate World Penguin Day. The evening began with a twist on our usual dinner routine as we dedicated the occasion to our beloved penguin friends. Part one of the night saw our expeditioners don black and white for the evenings meal, from suave suits to penguin onesies and even a daring full-body tuxedo morph suit. There wasn't a colour to be seen.

During dinner everyone contributed their own 'Tribute to Penguins'. With creativity unleashed, our team members showcased their talents through crafts, music, poetry, photography, 3D printing, electronics and more. One expeditioner also took action to support penguin conservation efforts and through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), adopted a penguin on behalf of Mawson Station to contribute to safeguarding the future of these Antarctic residents.

As dawn broke over Mawson Station on ANZAC Day, we gathered to honour and remember the sacrifices of the ANZACs. The day commenced with a Dawn Service, where we braved the chilly −18° windy morning, huddling together like our penguin friends behind Hagglunds staged as windbreaks by our mechanical team. Peter opened the service with beautiful rendition of 'Lest we Forget' on his bagpipes. How he managed to make a sound out of those frozen bagpipes – let alone play it so beautifully and then stand for the whole service in his kilt – will forever remain a mystery to me, but I'm very grateful he did as it set an incredible tone for the rest of the service.

As the song was being played, our flag attendants Andrew, Braiden, Mark and Rhys wrestled the winds to lower the flags and while there was a tense moment where I though the wind was going to get the better of the Torres Strait Island flag, the ANZAC spirit prevailed and the flags all stayed put on the poles.

Ali gave a thoughtful ANZAC Address, followed by heartfelt readings of 'At the going down of the sun', 'In Flanders Fields' and "Ode of remembrance" by Richard, Jason and Bryce. Our photographer Justin was snapping beautiful photos throughout the service (see last week's Icy News for some of his shots) and Andy had multiple cameras set up to film the proceedings.

After the Ode, I contributed my part by playing a rather shivery version of the Last Post on a frozen cornet. After singing the Australian and New Zealand National anthems (we have quite a strong contingent of Kiwis on station this year) the service was concluded with the thought-provoking reading "Sacrificed to the fallacy, that war can end war".

Following the service, we retreated indoors to warm ourselves with a Gunfire Morning Tea. There was an Aus v. NZ ANZAC biscuit bake-off scheduled, with station leader Ali set to represent the Kiwis and myself fighting it out for the Aussies. I rushed into the kitchen and along with John, Mark and Jason B we whipped up tray after tray of biscuits (Mark even taking the time to make some rather unique cube shaped ones, modelled after wombat poo, to be even more Aussie). However, when 10am came around it became clear I was the only one who had remembered to cook any biscuits, so I gleefully claimed the win by default. Ali seemed happy enough to ease her pain by eating the winning biscuits though (so maybe that was her plan all along?).

Sophie Counsell - technical officer