As we move through the winter months and the weather remains cold and dark, a mysterious presence stalks the rocky outcrop of East Antarctica that is Mawson Station.
ANAREs gone by have spoken of a mythical creature - one who appears only in times of need and despair, to perform tasks that most find simply too gruesome or repulsive. It is the perpetual blanket of darkness in which we find ourselves that highlights the true challenges of living and working through an Antarctic winter. Inhabitants of Mawson can all agree that our enigmatic protagonist thrives in the cold, dark and windy conditions.
Here at Mawson station, we are a diverse bunch, made up of tradespeople, chefs, doctors, weather experts, operators and leaders but one thing we all have in common is the basic need of comfort and homely features. The warmth of the Red Shed and running water are just two of the necessities we require to live and work ‘down south’. In the support of science, the winter crew keeps Mawson ticking over until that first Basler hits the sea ice and a summer season begins. Part of the job for many of us is working outside of our comfort zones, often in unsavoury conditions at all hours of the day and night. But this is done with one thing in mind: to play a role in support of our community.
It is here that our legend is born. There are times on station when things may not be as they seem. Water from the tap may be dripping slowly, or not at all. The pilot light on the stove may take an extra few seconds to light. The rubbish may be piling up, wishing for someone or ‘something’ to simply make it vanish. To the folks here at Mawson these problems often seem a world away, as they lavishly live their lives of relative comfort and ease, a mysterious force lurks around the station making these problems magically vanish. Braving temperatures and wind chills dropping below −40°C or wind speeds of up to 100 knots, the simplest of tasks can become a gargantuan effort.
Who might stand up in times of such madness, you ask? For there is only one special type of expeditioner. One who fears not trekking up the hill to the Water Supply Building each morning on a quest to gather water required to sustain life. One who does not shy from diving head first into sewage tanks so that his counterparts can flush their number 2’s away without a second thought. One who can be called upon, via radio or alarm, to any moment at the drop of a hat to just to ensure that everyone is comfortable, day in day out, whether there be a blizzard ripping through station or not. He stops at nothing.
Acronymically known as the OCP, our hero works in the shadows and the plant rooms of our Antarctic home. With a click of the heels and a "Yeeee m8", he’s off to answer the call - whatever it may be.
For he is not the hero Mawson asked for, but the hero that Mawson needs right now.
He is … the ‘on call plumber’.
Ben Callahan – Expeditioner of the 77th ANARE and part time ‘On Call Plumber’ of Mawson Station
