Digitalised film of 1964 Antarctic expedition to be shown on October 30
During the spring of 1964 glaciologist Bill Budd led an expedition from Mawson station to the Amery Ice Shelf to conduct a glaciological ground survey of the shelf, which is about the size of Tasmania. The team included a radio operator, two mechanics and a camera operator/electronics engineer.
The story of this very early expedition to Amery, which took four months, was captured in the short film Project Ice Shelf.
To commemorate Project Ice Shelf making the transition into the digital realm it will be screened in the Centenary Lecture Theatre from 11am-12.30pm on Tuesday 30 October.
“Bill will be on hand to provide a short introduction to the film and afterwards can answer all your questions about living in ventiles, travelling in Weasels* and nearly 50 years of research on the Amery Ice Shelf,†advises organiser Dr Adam Treverrow from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC.
Prof Budd is a former Director of the then CRC for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Environment and an Honorary Fellow at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
*The Weasel was a light cargo carrier produced in the US, initially for use during World War 11. It became the first mechanical oversnow vehicle to be used by Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions on the continent. Previously ANARE relied on husky teams.
Pictured: An open-topped Weasel towing a barge caravan in 1964. Photo courtesy of AAD