New Zealanders Proud Of Scott Base

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31215, 12 November 1966, Page 25

New Zealanders Proud Of Scott Base

(By a staff reporter who recently visited Antarctica)

Visitors to the United States Navy Antarctic Support Force base at McMurdo Station are invariably told: “You must see the New Zealand station at Scott Base. It’s real neat.”

The reason for this is not hard to find when the visitor does reach Scott Base, although the comparison casts no reflection on McMurdo Station which is larger by far and during the summer season has the disadvantage of a continually changing population. The difference in size and complexity of organisation is thrown into even greater relief by the fact that one is a logistic military establishment supporting science, and the other a civilian organisation doing the same work. New Zealanders at Scott Base number among their ranks men who came to New Zealand from the United States, Canada, Scotland, England and Ireland. They are proud of their base and intensely interested in their work whether it be the study of very-low-frequency radio signals or the preparation of meals for the men.

During the summer there are between 25 and 40 men based at the station, depending on the number of parties in the field. At McMurdo Station the summer population is about 1000 men. Knowledge to be Gained Mr C. M. Clark, of Christchurch, the new season’s leader at Scott Base, said that the main reason for the presence, on the continent, of the Antarctic Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was that there was so much pure knowledge to be gained. New Zealand’s interest in the Antarctic also followed on naturally from its proximity and historical links with early exploration and scientific study. “New Zealanders are equal partners with other countries here. We are near to being independent, but McMurdo gives us virtually everything we want. There is no rivalry,” Mr Clark said. “Willing help is being offered all the time, and it’s wonderful to know it is there, but we are now almost selfsufficient. We have the ; Endeavour and three flights iby a New Zealand Hercules i in the summer.”

All the men at Scott Base, and those yet to come this season, have already attended an eight-day basic mountain-

craft course at Waiouru Military Camp. It was the first occasion on which many of them had met, but by the end of the course they all knew each other well and had already begun to share diverse interests. Former Navy Cook

Mr B. D. George, aged 24, of Christchurch, the bearded and bright-eyed cook at the base, is a former leading cook in the Royal New Zealand Navy. He is preparing for his second winter in the Antarctic.

Mr George spent his first winter with the Navy in 196364 when he was seconded to the base as cook for a season. He was discharged in January, and after spending a short time as grill cook with a leading Christchurch tourist hotel joined the new Scott Base team. He has now taken over the care and exercising of the two Husky dog teams in his spare time.

He looks on his work in the Antarctic as a challenge, and an opportunity to enjoy plenty of fresh air and good food. After the winter, he hopes to stay on again as a field assistant or general handyman next season. Not Lonely “Living with men down here who have such varied interests, and discussing their work with them gives you the opportunity to mature in outlook at least two years in one season. You are certainly not lonely and not on your own in any sense.

“It is a strange place. The first time a person comes here he is not sure what he is coming to but soon finds out. Usually by the end of his first winter he is ready to get out, but when he looks back he realises what a good time he has really had, better than anywhere else in the world. “The only time I ever felt loneliness was when the last supply ship sailed at the end of the season.”

Mr George said cooking to suit individual tastes, particularly during the winter, was his hardest task. During the summer he kept his eye on the men to see what they liked.

“The summer base party are easily pleased. On the whole they seem to enjoy their meals. There have been no complaints so far.” During his last term at the base he cooked for a number of distinguished visitors, including the GovernorGeneral (Sir Bernard Fergusson), Sir Walter Nash, and Cardinal Spellman of New York.

Supplies for the base due on the Endeavour at the end of next month will include about 35 different varieties of

meat and meat products. There will be about 16 varieties of fish, including crayfish, whitebait and oysters. Ice caves at the base holding the bulk meat supply were last opened in March, when sufficient meat was taken out to last until Christmas. There is now about 40001 b of meat left in the cave.

Oranges, lemons and lettuces keep well for many months, and waxed eggs and apples keep from one season to the next, provided they are constantly turned. Potatoes are kept in a heated store and these also are frequently turned. Valuable Experience

The radio operator at Scott Base, Mr N. C. White, aged 41, comes from Tauranga. He is married with seven children aged from five to 15. He was educated at the Christchurch West High School and is a television technician, having previously been on the radio inspection staff in the Christchurch Post Office from 1958 to 1959. Mr White arrived at Scott Base on October 12, and will spend next winter there. He looks on the experience as an ideal opportunity for both using and servicing modern radio equipment, and learning a lot from it. “It’s a good perk, there’s no doubt about it,” Mr White said. “My wife was pleased for my sake that I got the job. She has been very understanding about it.”

The transmitter is a one kilowatt single sideband with six pre-set crystal-controlled channels. It is capable of variable frequency operation and has an effective range of more than 3000 miles. Mr White also maintains pack radio sets for field parties. Postmaster’s Work

Mr D. H. Brown, aged 25, of Wellington, is assistant radio operator and postmaster at the base. He arrived on October 5, and is in the wintering party. In addition to normal postal work he handles a considerable volume of philatelic mail and has requests for nearly 500 covers already. Two were written in German and others were from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, and a number of European. countries.

Mr Brown said about 100 personal and project radiotelephone calls were being made a month from the base. On Saturday nights between five and 10 personal calls were made to New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Mr W. M. Earl, aged 22, another Christchurch member

of the winter party, is a television technician, formerly of Channel TV3. He said he joined the party for the experience of being able to use modern equipment. Mr Earl is engaged in upper atmpspheric research which will provide valuable information for radio transmissions. It involves the measuring of the height of different layers of the upper atmosphere and recording the results. Diesel Mechanic

Mr R. J. Sopp, aged 24, of Rotorua, will be the first Maori to winter at Scott Base. eH is the diesel mechanic. He said curiosity about the Antarctic was probably the main reason for his applying for the position. He plans to learn how to ski and, like everyone else at the base, how to become a proficient photographer. “Back home at work we talk about engines, but here you mix with chaps who study seals and penguins and various branches of science. It’s a great opportunity to learn a lot about these things,” he said.