Thelma Rodgers is a retired Antarctic scientist from New Zealand. She was the first woman to spend a winter at

Scott Base Scott Base is a New Zealand Antarctica, Antarctic research station at Pram Point on Ross Island near Mount Erebus in New Zealand's Ross Dependency territorial claim. It was named in honour of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, RN, leader ...

, New Zealand's scientific base in Antarctica.

Life

Rodgers grew up in the

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

area of the South Island of New Zealand. She worked as a science technician in the geophysics division of the

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR was the name of several British Empire organisations founded after the 1923 Imperial Conference to foster intra-Empire trade and development. * Department of Scientific and Industria ...

and spent the winter at Scott Base in 1979. She was the first woman to winter-over at the base. In 2017 a laboratory in the newly refurbished Hilary Field Centre at Scott Base was named after her.

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) People from Nelson, New Zealand New Zealand Antarctic scientists {{NewZealand-scientist-stub