At Casey station, our team of diesel mechanics — affectionately known as the Dieso’s — come from every corner of Australia and New Zealand. With backgrounds ranging from the military, mining, watercraft, snow resorts, small businesses, and local councils, this diverse group brings a wealth of experience and character to the workshop.
This winter, there are eight dieso’s on station (including the SMS and WAM), spread across three sections: Station, Wilkins Aerodrome, and Traverse. While each section has its own focus, there's a huge amount of overlap, and the crew works closely together as one high-performing team — capable of some seriously impressive things.
Despite the size of the team, the workload is equally massive. But the dieso’s don’t shy away from it — they dig in, have fun, and routinely perform more production than some larger workshops with double the personnel.
So, what do the dieso’s work on?
Pretty much anything with an engine! The list includes the famous (or infamous) Terra Bus, Overaasen snow blowers, Case Quadtracs, Challenger tractors, Hagglunds, front-end loaders, D6 and D7 dozers, quad bikes, skidoos, groomers, generators (both big and small), cranes, and anything else that moves. Not only do we work on them, we all operate pretty much all of them, based on what's needed to keep station functioning.
On top of that, the dieso’s manage, transfer, and are probably the biggest user of the over 1.3 million litres of Special Antarctic Blend (SAB) diesel on station. This fuel powers the generators in the powerhouse and keeps Casey running through the long polar nights and days.
A season in review
It’s been a huge season across all three sections:
- Traverse Team: Kicked off summer by heading to Dome C and back to support the Million Year Ice Core Project — a serious journey. Now, they’re elbows-deep in repairs and servicing, turning gear around to do it all again next summer.
- Wilkins Aerodrome Dieso: He was flat out over summer, supporting flights in and out via the blue ice runway. There were plenty of breakdowns, but his spirits never wavered. He’s now back on station for winter, focusing on annual servicing and prep, before heading back up the hill.
- Station Team: Summer saw a hectic resupply and countless recoveries during the melt — giving rise to the phrase: “weight moves weight”. They’ve kept the powerhouse humming, even when one engine spectacularly threw a conrod straight out the block. Winter’s been about deep servicing and repairs, while still backing up Wilkins and traverse as needed.
So, is it all worth it?
Absolutely.
Where else can you step outside for morning smoko and be greeted by an aurora dancing in the sky — or a curious penguin wandering through the workshop? The work is tough, the days can be long, but the experience and the camaraderie? Unbeatable.
Lachlan Smith
Station Mechanical Supervisor (and deiso!)
Casey station
