Antarctica

Photos taken by Neil Simmons of Wilkes 1964 and Casey 1974

By Neil Simmons

Photo Gallery

W64-001 Russian whale catcher spotted in the Southern ocean 2 days before we arrived at Wilkes. (Jan. 1964)
W64-002 First DUKW ashore, carrying mail and goodies to Wilkes 1963 wintering party. (Jan. 1964)
W64-003 Clarke Peninsular viewed from air looking towards the plateau. (Jan. 1964)
W64-004 View of Wilkes base looking towards the proposed location of the new Casey Base. (Jan. 1964)
W64-005 The Nella Dan anchored off Wilkes in Vincennes bay. (Jan. 1964)
W64-006 One of the pilots and engineer from helicopter utilities back on board the Nella Dan. (Jan. 1964)
W64-007 Members of the1963 wintering party on board a DUKW in market square. (Jan. 1964)
W64-008 DUKW along side the Nella Dan loading the1963 wintering party personal belongings. (Jan. 1964)
W64-009 Hyster used for unloading provisions for the1964 wintering party from a DUKW. (Jan. 1964)
W64-010 The 1963/1964 Change over ceremony. Geoff Smith HO on left next to Snotrac with Tony Morphett from the ABC to the right, behind him. Tony was there to make documentary recordings for broadcast by the ABC and Radio Australia. (Jan. 1964)
W64-011 Dennis Brophy (Met. Observer) standing near a trapped iceberg on a sealing trip to Stevenson's cove.
W64-012 Dennis Brophy calming the dogs down after the seal kill.
W64-013 Neil Simmons (Radio Tech.) cutting up the dead seal to provide fresh meat for the dogs.
W64-014 One of our huskies called Twigg enjoying some fresh seal meat.
W64-015 Heading off for the Autumn Traverse. Ray O'Leary (OIC) on the left with Keith Budnick (Surveyor).
W64-016 Cooking dinner during the Autumn Traverse. Geoff Hulcombe (Sen. Dieso.)
W64-017 Starting the vehicles with Herman Nelson heater on one of the coldest mornings of the traverse (-52F).
W64-018 After surveying a Dome south of S2 for the highest point, two 44 gallon drums were welded together and left to mark the spot. This area is now known as Law Dome.
W64-019 When Law Dome was revisited during the Spring Traverse; one drum had been completely covered by the accumulation of snow.
W64-020 Returning Autumn Traverse party. From Left :- Ray O'Leary (OIC), Mike Jones (Dieso.), Keith Budnick (Surveyor), Roy Whitworth (Geophysicist), Geoff Hulcombe (Sen. Dieso.), Peter Morgan (Glaciologist) two other members not in photo, Brian Fogarty (Radio Op.) and Neil Simmons (Radio Tech.).
W64-021 Mike Bonnici (Met. Observer) Left with Neil Simmons (Radio Tech.) on the way to S2 just after midwinter to lay a track for the tractor train to follow in the dark.
W64-022 Ice Drill being transported to S2 to carry out ice core drilling project and holes for seismic shots.
W64-023 Mike Bonnici standing next to St. Bernard's sign located along the S2 trail.
W64-024 The St. Bernard's sign revisited by the 1974 Wintering Party. Note the amount of accumulation over 10 years. I think the sign was some 8 to10 miles inland from the ablation zone.
W64-025 The main communications room at Wilkes, The blur in front of the receiver racks was our speedy Radio Operator Neville Woods.
W64-026 from left: - Doug Twigg (HO Radio Supervisor) and Dave Rodgers (Radio Op.) in the Communications room during the1964/1965 changeover.
W64-027 Dave Rodgers and Brian Fogarty behind the bar enjoying a smoke and a beer.
W64-028 Around the bar one party night, from left: - Mike Bonnici (Met. Observer), Ray O'Leary (OIC), Brian Fogarty (Radio Op.), Lyndon Murray (Doctor).
W64-029 Roy Whitworth (Geophysicist.) and Tom Ellis (Sen. Radio Tech.) raising a Rhombic antenna mast from 20 ft. to 70 ft.
W64-030 Geoff Williams (Met. Radio Tech.) and Neil Simmons ( Radio Tech.) on a motor bike trip to a trapped iceberg 5 miles out over the sea ice.
W64-031 Wilkes station during a heavy spring storm. In the foreground is one of the pups (Mukluk II) born during 1964.
W64-032 View over the freshly formed sea ice of Nelly Island just as the sun is going down.
W64-033 Multicoloured aurora viewed over Wilkes station.
W64-034 Multicoloured aurora viewed over Wilkes station
W64-035 One of the first skidoos (Polaris Snow traveller) sent to Australian Antarctic stations in1964.
W64-036 A return visit to Wilkes station in 1974 on a more advanced and comfortable Bombardier skidoo.
W64-037 Drilling holes for seismic shots and installation of stakes to be used for ongoing snow accumulation measurements/records.
W64-038 Roy Whitworth loading photographic paper into seismic recorder to capture the traces from the strings of geophones set up for the MOHO seismic shot.
W64-039 Firing of the required 22 pounds of TNT for a reliable MOHO seismic shot.
W64-040 Photo taken at sunrise showing the varying colours of the Lenticular and cumulus clouds viewed from the plateau looking towards the coast.
W64-041 Gravity meter setup behind the Snotrac on a patch of blue ice near the Vanderford Glacier.
W64-042 Roy Whitworth (Geophysicist) taking a gravity meter reading during the 1964 Autumn Traverse.
W64-043 Running a stake line from Law Dome to Cape Folger at the end of the 1964 Spring Traverse.
W64-044 Picture of the front RHS bogies of the Snotrac sheared off by trying to jump a crevasse which was just a little too wide. This all came about by driving on blue ice near Cape Folger in whiteout conditions.
W64-045 View taken looking towards Stevenson's Cove from a point just above the Cone moraine.
W64-046 Map showing the autumn and Spring Traverse areas and tracks.
W64-047 The Thalla Dan anchored in Vincennes Bay near Wilkes during the 1964/1965 changeover.
W64-048 This is a copy of an advertisement that appeared in the Melbourne Sun newspaper on April 25th. 1971. It shows some of the members of the 1964 Wintering party taken on midwinter's day. The publishers took some photographic licence and changed heads and added beard supplements here and there.

All photos by Neil Simmons.

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