The Ice Beneath My Feet by Diana Patterson

Author:Diana Patterson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC Books
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

14

Acting like a lady

The temperature rose to nearly 5°C at the beginning of January and it was a common sight to see summer physicists Mark Conde, Andre Phillips and Pene Greet, the third of us women at Mawson that summer, wandering around wearing shorts. In fact, I was surprised to see how many had packed shorts to come to Antarctica! Mark specifically stood out as he was more likely to be seen in shorts than in long pants, regardless of the temperature.

Summer was a busy time. Advantage was taken of the mild weather to complete outdoor tasks with people working at all hours, seven days a week. The maintenance tradesmen focused on repairs to the emergency powerhouse and to the waste treatment plant. Then there was the construction of extensions to both the mechanics’ and the radio technicians’ workshops. The construction crew was busy completing the fire tender shelter and preparing to lay the foundations for extensions to the Redshed which would include new kitchen, dining and recreational facilities.

One of my first confronting challenges as station leader was the introduction of the federal government’s new policy which banned smoking in all of the buildings. There were not many who smoked but those who did had been used to smoking in the mess and in other areas of the station. As is the case with any change to established practice, there was some discontent when I advised the team of the ban at our first station meeting. After considerable discussion the prevailing view was that in the absence of specific alternative facilities being established for smokers — it was not as simple as going outside to stand by the front door given the climate — some exceptions could be made. I stressed that this had to be an absolutely unanimous station decision.

In the end it was agreed that the only internal common area for smoking would be in the club, because it was not linked by air-conditioning to other areas, and that even there the smokers would have to stand by an open window. We also agreed that this decision would be reviewed at the start of winter when the summer population had departed. I thought that it was remarkable that we could quickly come to such a consensus as a new community and that it boded well for the future.

I quickly settled into a routine, my usual working day beginning at eight in the morning. First I responded to the official telexes and addressed day-to-day organisational requirements. One such task was to arrange for people to assist with the re-marking of the drum line on the plateau. Drums were used rather than the bamboo canes in the areas of blue ice where snow did not accumulate because of the fierce and consistent katabatic winds for which Mawson was renowned. It was an annual task to maintain the routes to the field huts to ensure that the heavily crevassed areas were avoided.

In the afternoons, when the katabatics had usually abated, I would find some practical outdoor task to be completed around the station.

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