The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is a division of the

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is a department of the Australian Government. The department was established on 1 July 2022, superseding the water and environment functions from the Department of Agri ...

. The Division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

and the

Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...

. It conducts and supports collaborative research programs with other Australian and international organisations, such as the

Bureau of Meteorology The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together ...

and

Geoscience Australia Geoscience Australia is an agency of the Australian Government. It carries out geoscientific research. The agency is the government's technical adviser on all aspects of geoscience, and custodian of the geographic and geological data and knowle ...

, as well as administering and maintaining a presence in Australian Antarctic and

sub-Antarctic The sub-Antarctic zone is a region in the Southern Hemisphere, located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° and 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands ...

territories. Their website includes articles on the Antarctic wildlife, threats, guidelines and they have blogs written by Australians at the three Australian bases in

Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader durin ...

, Davis and Casey.

Charter

Under its charter the Australian Antarctic Division: * Administers the

Australian Antarctic Territory The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is a part of East Antarctica claimed by Australia as an external territory. It is administered by the Australian Antarctic Division, an agency of the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the En ...

and the Territory of

Heard Island and McDonald Islands The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size ...

* Conducts research in high priority areas of Antarctic science * Coordinates and manages Australia's logistic program in Antarctica * Promotes Antarctic research in universities through grants and the provision of logistic support * Develops policy proposals and provides advice on Australia's Antarctic interests * Promotes Australia's Antarctic interests within the Antarctic Treaty System * Maintains a continuing presence in the region through permanent stations, the establishment of field bases and the provision of transport, communication and medical services * Acts as the primary source of Australian Antarctic information

Australian Antarctic program

The Australian Antarctic Division leads the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) with four key goals: * Maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia's influence in it * Protect the Antarctic environment * Understand the role of Antarctica in the global climate system * Undertake scientific work of practical, economic and national significance

Research stations

The AAD headquarters is in Kingston, Tasmania, just south of Hobart. The division's headquarters houses laboratories for science, electronics and electron microscopy, mechanical and instrument workshops, a krill research aquarium, a herbarium, equipment stores, communications and other operational and support facilities. The Chief Scientist since 2021 has been Professor Nicole Webster. The AAD maintains three permanently manned stations on the Antarctic continent, and one on

Macquarie Island Macquarie Island is an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 197 ...

in the subantarctic: *

Casey Station Casey Station, commonly called Casey, is one of three permanent stations and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Casey lies on the northern side of the Bailey Peninsula overlooking Vincennes Bay ...

(including the seasonal camp at

Wilkins Runway Wilkins Runway is a single runway aerodrome operated by Australia, located on upper glacier of the ice sheet Preston Heath, Budd Coast, Wilkes Land, on the continent of Antarctica, but southeast of the actual coast. It is named after Sir Huber ...

) *

Davis Station The Davis Station, commonly called Davis, is one of three permanent bases and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Davis is situated on the coast of Cooperation Sea in Princess Elizabeth Land, ...

Mawson Station The Mawson Station, commonly called Mawson, is one of three permanent bases and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Mawson lies in Holme Bay in Mac. Robertson Land, East Antarctica in the Austra ...

Macquarie Island Station The Macquarie Island Station is a permanent Australian subantarctic research base on Macquarie Island, commonly called Macca, situated in the Southern Ocean and located approximately halfway between mainland Australia and Antarctica, managed b ...

Remote field bases operate during the summer research season supporting coastal, inland and traverse operations.

Transport

Aviation

The AAD uses an air transport system, both for transport to and from Antarctica, and for transport within the continent. Aircraft for this system are provided and operated under contract by private sector operators. Services to and from Antarctica are provided, between November and February each year, by an Airbus A319-115LR operated by

Skytraders Skytraders is an Australian airline. It is headquartered at 180 Jersey Road, Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia. Skytraders was founded in 1979. It is the provider of specialist air services to the Australian Federal Government. History 1 ...

. This aircraft operates to and from the Wilkins ice runway, situated some from Casey Station. Construction of a paved runway at Davis station was announced in 2018. Services within Antarctica are provided by a mixture of fixed-wing aircraft and

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

s. Fixed-wing services are provided by

Basler BT-67 The Basler BT-67 is a utility aircraft produced by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is a remanufactured and modified Douglas DC-3; the modifications are designed to significantly extend the DC-3's serviceable lifetime. Desi ...

and

DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...

aircraft operated by

Kenn Borek Air Kenn Borek Air is an airline based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It operates regional passenger and cargo services, contract operations in the Arctic and Antarctic and aircraft leasing. Its main base is at Calgary International Airport. It chart ...

. These aircraft operate from Wilkins runway and from smaller snow runways at each of the three permanent stations, as well as any field locations which provide the necessary flat area of snow or ice. Helicopter services are provided by three Eurocopter AS 350 BA Squirrel helicopters, operated by Helicopter Resources. In 2016, AAD helicopter pilot David Wood died by falling into a crevasse while unloading sling cargo near Davis Station. Following legal proceedings, the Court of the Australian Capital Territory found the AAD guilty of failing to comply with its duty to ensure the health and safety of workers. The

Antarctic Flight RAAF The Antarctic Flight was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft flight. It operated from RAAF Base Laverton and Mawson Station. The flight was responsible for expeditions and rescue missions in Antarctica. Two ski fitted RAAF Auster AOP.6 ( ...

operated from 1948 to 1963. Since its withdrawal, aircraft from the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

operated infrequently in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands in the 1970s and 1980s, Since 2016, RAAF C-17A Globemasters operate as required to carry high priority or oversize cargo that cannot be carried by the A319.

Shipping

The AAD uses the icebreaker '' RSV Nuyina'', an

icebreaking An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

research and supply vessel. Construction commenced in May 2017 at

Damen Shipyards The Damen Group is a Dutch defence, shipbuilding, and engineering conglomerate company based in Gorinchem, Netherlands. Though it is a major international group doing business in 120 countries, it remains a private family-owned company. Dame ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. The vessel was then fitted out at

Vlissingen Vlissingen (; zea, label= Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river ...

in the Netherlands and handed over on 19 August 2021. ''Nuyina'' is owned by the Australian Government, and operated by Serco. ''Nuyina'' was built to replace ''RSV

Aurora Australis An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of br ...

'', a multi-purpose marine research and resupply ship chartered from P&O Polar. The ''Aurora Australis'' was launched in 1989 and built by Carrington Slipways in

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle ( ; Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas, and is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area ...

. ''Aurora Australis'' was decommissioned March 2020.

Dog sleds

Australia was one of the three countries still using sled dogs (

husky Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...

) in 1992 when the

Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, also known as the Madrid Protocol, is a complementary legal instrument to the Antarctic Treaty signed in Madrid on October 4, 1991. It entered into force on January 14, 1998. The ...

(the Madrid Protocol) banned the presence of non-native species in Antarctica to avoid the transmission of diseases from non-native species to native species. The younger Australian huskies were relocated using helicopter, ship, aeroplane and truck to Ely,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, where they could continue to be working dogs. The older dogs were retired to Australia, often living with former Antarctic workers.

Territorial administration

The AAD is responsible, on behalf of the Australian Government, for administering the two Australian federal territories that lie in Antarctic or sub-Antarctic latitudes: *

The AAD maintains a base on

which is part of the Australian state of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Notes

References

External links

Australian Antarctic Division website
{{Authority control Commonwealth Government agencies of Australia Scientific organisations based in Australia Australian Antarctic Territory Antarctic agencies Kingston, Tasmania