Larsemann Hills 1987

These are images from the establishment of Law Base in the Larsemann Hills in the austral summer of 1986/1987.

Law Base is a summer station operated by the Australian Antarctic Division and is approximately 110km southwest of Australia's Davis Station in Princess Elizabeth Land. China's Zhongshan Station and Russia's Progress Station are both nearby.

My visit to Law Base was actually unplanned. After wintering at Casey in 1986, I joined Australian Antarctic Division Glaciologist Ian Allison aboard Nella Dan with intentions of spending the remainder of the summer season at Edgeworth David Base in the Bunger Hills. It was not to be. Nella Dan encountered heavy pack ice before reaching Bunger Hills and became firmly beset. She remained beset for about a week until broken out by Soviet ship Mikhail Somov which happened to be in the vicinity and offered to lend a helping hand. Unable to reach Bunger Hills due to the heavy pack, Nella Dan proceeded to her next scheduled destination, Law Base in the Larsemann Hills.