Vale Jim Hasick

Jim Hasick at Mawson

Station Year Season
Macquarie Island 1965 Winter
Macquarie Island 1968 Winter
Mawson 1986 Winter
Mawson 1992 Winter
Mawson 1995 Winter

With much sadness, the ANARE Club advises the passing of Jim Hasick on 20 August 2024.

(Notified by email from Denise Allen, 29 August 2024)

Jim Hasick

Physicist Macquarie Island 1965, OIC Macquarie Island 1968

OIC Mawson 1986, Station Leader Mawson 1992, Station Leader Mawson 1995

Dr Jim Hasick AAM

(30 January 1940 – 20 August 2024)

Physicist Macquarie Is ’65, OIC ’68; Mawson SL ’86, ’92, ’95

A profile from fellow expeditioner and long-time friend Trevor Olrog, Polar Medal Q’65 W’67

Jim was born named David James in Shanghai where his British father was working and where his British mother and father were living 1930s. He was there with his parents and his siblings, Alan and Pamela, until post WWII when they resettled in the UK, and was joined by another sibling, Elizabeth.

At school he was an outstanding student; of note is that he was a County Chess Champion. He readily settled into tertiary studies. Jim graduated with a BSc from London University in 1960. His family moved to Australia in 1962 where he completed his Masters at Melbourne University.

Jim had a varied life of teaching and academic work punctuated by several expeditions to the Antarctic and undertaking research into plant growth with an academic supervisor at Macquarie University that led to his doctorate, PhD.

Whilst being an academic, Jim showed his versatility and range of abilities by teaching at secondary schools in Sydney and Coffs Harbour. Later, Jim taught at Knox Grammar for many years. This included running the Camp Knox side of Knox Grammar where this facility provides for tutoring, mentoring and outdoor activities

Within those early years, Jim undertook work for the Sydney City Mission where he provided guidance and tutoring to wayward young men at a residential camp owned by the Mission. In contrast to this, Jim also worked as an analyst with the Government Ionospheric Prediction Service Organisation (IPSO).

It was during those times that Jim learnt of science positions in the Antarctic and Jim successfully applied for a position as physicist with the Australian Antarctic Division – and so began an intense interest in matters Antarctic. The year 1965 at Macquarie Island was his first of a total of five winters with Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions: ANARE.

Jim returned to the Antarctic in 1968 OIC (Station Leader) Macquarie Island. It came as no surprise that Jim continued his service with the Antarctic Division by wintering again as Station Leader at Mawson in 1986 and again at Mawson in 1992 and Mawson 1995. For his valuable services in the Antarctic Jim was awarded the Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM).

It is of note that Huskies had been in Australian Antarctic service since Mawson was established in 1954. Later, in 1991, an international Agreement determined that non-indigenous animal species must not exist in Antarctica. It was then, at the end of Mawson 1992, that Jim had a major project responsibility in arranging for the last Huskies to be repatriated. We note that the older huskies were adopted by Australian families and the majority of huskies went to an Outward Bound School in Minnesota, USA.

We further mention that his many interests included Karate, where Jim became a Black Belt, and one of his ‘dans’ was awarded in Japan.

Jim at Auster Rookery 50 kms east of Mawson Station.
This was published in journal Karate Life 1993 Vol 2 No 2

Such a varied and interesting life. Farewell Jim.

David James Hasick

 Australian Antarctic Medal Recipient 1993

Citation

Dr Jim Hasick’s Antarctic experience spans almost 30 years including four winters [Ed. five including 1995] which is a rare achievement in itself. He first wintered at Macquarie Island in 1965 as a physicist and became the Station Leader at Mawson in 1992.

His thorough knowledge and commitment to Antarctic environmental conservation has been demonstrated by his efforts in instilling effective practices amongst his expeditioners and in his contribution to strategies for cleaning up refuse sites at Mawson.

Books by Jim Hasick

Title Author PUBLISHER YEAR PUBLISHED COVER ISBN
Antarctic Journal Hasick, James Era Publications 1993 Hardcover 9780435036270
Penguin Count Hasick, James Era Publications 2002 Softcover 9781863747776

Jim Hasick was a member of the ANARE Club Since 1965