Law Base
Law Base is located in the Larsemann hills, approximately 80km southwest of Davis station.
Named after Phillip Garth Law, who oversaw the Australian Antarctic Division from 1949-1966, this remote outpost was established in 1986, near to the site where Law first landed at the Larsemann hills in 1958.
This season, the AAD sent a 5-person team to Law base to complete a camp upgrade and maintenance project to accommodate upcoming scientific projects.
The team
Tim – Field leader
A true FTO at heart, Tim is a highly experienced deep field operator with a knack for getting his team in and out safely. He is as equally skilled with a compass as he is with a power saw, which saw him promoted to 'deck hand', a title he would usually apply to his sailboat. In the deep field however, he was unstoppable squaring joists and screwing decks.
Haydn – Chippie
This bloke has it all. The deep field beard, the necessary woodworking experience, the Kiwi accent and the love for never sitting still. When he’s not smashing out the construction work, he’s planning what to do next. Like a master chess player, he’s always five steps ahead of the project. Apparently, days off means making shelves. I guess that’s a called a hobby.
Mikey – Comms
A critical player in the deep field, Mikey brought his A game to the table. These days, in such a remote environment, connection to the outside world is a must. I mean, without Starlink, how else were we supposed to laugh at reels and watch the cricket on our days off? For good measure, he set up three.
Joe – Chippie
As good with a hammer as he was for a laugh, Joe was right at home in the field. A candidate for first grade rugby back in the day (only just missed out apparently), Joe tapped into years of experience to smash out the decks and (offer) to do the dishes every night.
Pat – Plumber
A must have for any deep field deployment is heating/cooling and the ability to dump pre-made chef-cooked meals into a pot of boiling water. Heating this water is true sorcery, which Pat provided. Highly experienced in dynamic environments, Pat made sure there was always a light-hearted side to camp, whilst staying safe within the environment.
The project
The plan was to upgrade the existing camp and provide new facilities for a summer science project operating out of Law Base in the coming seasons. Installation of two new “melons”, as they are referred to at the AAD, meant sling-load transport via helicopter from Davis station to Law Base. Thes new melons were to be installed on two new decks that were constructed on site. A third deck would house an existing melon that had been situated on the ground. A fourth deck was constructed to house a temporary weather shelter that will be erected next summer.
On top of the outside construction works, internal renovation to the living quarters took place, including the installation of a new oven and rangehood, complete with a splashback to suit. This was complemented by a new gas heater, new shelving and storage, new carpet on the floor, and the crowning achievement, a three-seater leather couch, which was also helicoptered from Davis. Bloody comfortable when watching the cricket if I don’t say so myself.
The deployment to Law Base was a month long and was a challenging but highly rewarding experience. I feel quite privileged to be able to have lived and worked at such a remote place in Antarctica, to receive visits from our Treaty neighbours from India and China, and to spend the time with some pretty amazing people.
While not showering for a month can be interesting, and not having running water can become a bit of an annoyance, the challenge and camaraderie were well worth the experience and something I will remember for the rest of my life.
The area around Law Base is stunning and the hiking and recreation that’s available in the Larsemann Hills is nothing short of incredible. With elevation gains all around and plenty of interesting things to see, we were not short of opportunities to stretch our legs. Some of the highlights included Castle Bluff on the Broknes Peninsula and the peaks to the east of camp overlooking the ‘Dalk glacier tongue’.
A big thanks to everyone at the AAD and Davis who supported our endeavour to Law Base, as well as Helicopter Resources for getting us and our equipment in and out safely.
Pat Kinsella 78th/79th ANARE
