So, what trade rules?
This week for Icy News I thought I’d answer a question that’s bugged me now for months. At Casey Station, what trade rules them all?
Our journey begins with the chippies. A seasoned expeditioner and a first time wood worker, this dynamic duo keeps our station doors opening, our pool table running smoothly and our darts board the best on the continent. If they’re not out fixing floors or satellite panels, they’re helping others with personal projects or hiding from our supervisor. When asked why they were the best trade on station, Col told me, “Deep down everyone wants to be a chippy. That should say it all.”
There’s a noticeable strut on the four sparkies. Walking around like we wouldn’t survive if the power went out. Have these guys ever heard of a gas heater or pocket hand warmers? Some question what sparked the big bang, but ask these guys and they’ll tell you it was a sparky. I caught one of them brewing their sixth coffee for the day and asked why they’re the bees’ knees of tradies. “Plumbers might think they’re god, but sparkies can make water go uphill,” Michaela tells me.
The BOM crew works dedicated shifts and long days observing weather. Despite repeated requests for favourable weather conditions, they keep telling everyone they can only observe, not control. If you’ve ever been in their office, you’d know the weather dart board tells a different story. Between ballon launches I managed to ask why they think they’re the greatest trade. “We’re the only ones doing actual science down here, without us no other trade could even go outside,” I am told.
FTO Liz is always out and about in the Casey operating area. A skilled climber ready to rescue any wayward expeditioners if they do themselves a mischief. Cotton kills will forever be etched into our brains as a warning. “I’m the best trade because I’m the best looking,” Liz tells me, as she sorts out the station pee bottles.
Mike our boiler maker is a man of many talents. As skilled with a welding torch as a Jedi with a lightsabre, this guy puts the metal in thrash metal. Although his real passion lies somewhere between fixing broken shovels and winding up Lachie Jr, he can always be counted on when a job needs a unique touch or some out of the box thinking. “Where other trades fail, we succeed," Mike tells me in his work bay.
The comms techs are parked up at ops so the Station Leader can keep any eye on them while they attempt to contact aliens and people on the Moon. HF, LF, DTF, I don’t know what all these acronyms mean but I reckon it’s to keep us guessing what they’re up to. I snagged one on his way out to the receiver lair to see why they rule the roost. “I’ll just turn the internet off and then you’ll know how important we are. Good luck uploading your little article after that,” says Terry.
Catering for upwards of 30 hungry expeditioners is no small feat and it’s one we all admire. Up for a laugh or ready with some quick wit, this master of the kitchen delivers some of the finest cuisines the continent has to offer. Just don’t get in his way when his footy team isn’t going so well. Which this season is most weeks, so maybe just don’t go in there at all. “Like Anthony Bourdain once said, 'Meals hold the society together, they are the fabric'. And that’s why chefs are the most important trade.”
Our ESS is kicking his feet up on the desk, apparently on another ‘Teams’ meeting. It’s like the 7th time this week and it’s only Monday afternoon. Lee does a great job of managing all of us tradies. And while it could be argued that his role isn’t technically a trade, he’s there when we need leadership or beating at anything competitive that’s being played, ever. “The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions. That’s why I’m the greatest trade,” Lee tells me as he gestures me to leave his office.
The mechanics surface from the oily floor when they hear me cross into their workshop. Most of the time the air is filled with heavy metal, obscenities, melting snow or wayward spanners that inevitably lodge inside an engine bay. When vehicles don’t start these guys have us covered. Just don’t call them mechanics. Apparently, they’re fitters. Sounds like they’re trying to sell a cheap suit if you ask me. When quizzed why they reign supreme I was told, “If I turn the engines off, you’ll freeze to death in half an hour. That’s how important we are.”
Doctor Meg keeps Casey healthy and well through the winter months. Meg can always be relied on for a yarn, a laugh and a quick-witted Simpson’s quote. Just make sure you get to your monthly medical on time. Last month she chased me round the red shed with her stethoscope because I got my days mixed up. She tells me, “I am the most important trade. Carpenters think they fix joints, but I fix human joints where araldite doesn’t cut it, despite what my dad says about home dentistry.”
Storeman James is busy replacing tarps from our wind event. If this guy isn’t pick packing the station containers and pellets, he’s playing warehouse simulator on PC. Blizz conditions keep him on his toes but I grabbed a word between replacing tarps. “I’m the most generous man,” he says. “I make things appear and disappear for you.”
Finally, it’s the plumbers. Masters of the gross and flammable, these guys don’t need to tell everyone how important they are, because everybody already knows. Most kids want to be firefighters or race car drivers when they grow up, but plumbers wanna plumb. “Simple really, you don’t see anyone making adult movies about carpenters and sparkies,” Lachie tells me as he tests the sprinkler system.
With such great people down here at Casey, I couldn’t choose who's number one. So, I asked for some advice from our illustrious leader. Andy watches over all of Casey’s ops and makes sure the whole operation runs smoothly. When I asked him who he thought was the top trade, he told me “Well the more I think about it, the more I realise it’s me. Who else is going to deliver a motivational speech that no one asked for?”
There’s another group that wasn’t on station for me to interview. The Wilkins crew is up at Wilkins aerodrome getting ready for the start of the summer season. I tried calling them on the sat phone, but they didn’t answer. They left my WhatsApp message on read too, now that I think about it. They’d probably say something silly like “Wilkins rules, traverse drools.” Hmm, I guess they have a runway to build or something.
Pat Kinsella – Plumber
78th Anare
