Working in Antarctica with the AAD has dramatically evolved since my grandfather's time in 1966 at Wilkes Station. Back then he was the communications technician. Some things don’t change – like the isolation. But the communication systems now at Mawson research station have advanced greatly from the rugged analogue dialled systems of yesteryear. These days, our biggest issue seems to be when the ‘Starlink’ internet system drops out and one of the four footy matches that are streaming simultaneously gets blurry.
On our Nuyina voyage down here back in December 2024, we stopped off at Casey Station. I was lucky enough to get a trip out with some of the team to help clean up the old Wilkes station, an hour and a half away by Hagglunds vehicle. I actually saw where my grandad spent a whole year of his life.
Granddad still recites great stories of his time down here. He once told me a story of a time he had paid "another fella two cans of beer to climb to the top of a receiver tower (which are still standing - barely) to repair a broken cable" and by the time he had finished "three other fellas said they would’ve done it for one beer!" Is beer still an economy? That’s a question better not asked, but we can definitely agree that Antarctica is still an incredible place.
Malcolm Huddy, Mawson research station plumber
