Ice scientist honoured

Press, 20 December 1988, Page 16

Ice scientist honoured

Dr Trevor Hatherton, the leader of New Zealand’s first scientific party in Antarctica, was honour recently when, a new geosciences laboratory bearing his name, was officially opened at Scott Base.

The deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, opened the laboratory on his last evening of a five-day visit, while Dr Hatehrton was flown in on a 24-hour visit for the occasion. Dr Hatherton first visited Antarctica in 1955. The boots he wore when

he first stepped on the ice now grace the wall of the Scott Base bar. He wintered over in 1957 with 23 others, under the leadership of Sir Edmund Hillary. He has since visited Antarctica many times and was a commentator aboard some of Air New Zealand’s sightseeing flights in the late 19705. He was also a member of the Ross Dependency Research Committee, which approves research proposals for the New Zealand Antarctic

Research Programme, from its inception in 1958 until his retirement from it this year. Dr Hatherton noted many changes at Scott Base since 1957, although the original laboratory still stands and is now used for summer accom- ' modation. He said that there were • only two things wrong i with the new laboratory: “The ‘No smoking’ sign on [ the door, and it is full of r high technology — all : chips and no fish.”