ANARE Club NSW Branch Mid Winter Lunch
Saturday 21 June 2025
At the EPPING HOTEL on Beecroft Road, Epping
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As per usual, the NSW Branch held its Midwinter event as a luncheon at the Epping Hotel, which has served us so well in terms of good food, location, functionality and value for money. In a departure from the norm, the event was held on Midwinter’s Day, as opposed to a week after the event. However, going forward, the NSW Branch will revert to one week after Midwinters to enable members to attend both the NSW event and any others they wish to.
Numbers were down this year, but the event was a great success, with an excellent guest speaker and lots of time (and room!) for attendees to catch up with fellow expeditioners as well as enjoy those special highlights of an ANARE Club Midwinter ding.
The event opened with homers, via Kirstie’s (NSW Treasurer) clever but simple drinks voucher system to ensure people weren’t paying for drinks they didn’t want. A plenteous array of hors d’oeuvres accompanied drinks and good conversation. Max Dietrich (C 82 M 86) brought along some fine photos and albums of his time down south, which were much admired.
The formal part of the event was launched with a relatively brief and painless AGM. Members were informed of various items of news and note, such as the National Council’s plans to celebrate next year’s 75th anniversary of the ANARE Club by holding a national event in Canberra. However, the main item on the agenda was the election of the 2025-56 NSW Branch Council. Unsurprisingly, it strongly resembles that of 2024-25, with outgoing members David Ellyard, Lucinda Coates, Kirstie Fryirs, Rowan Butler and Margaret Whitelaw (in absentia) being re-elected! Congratulations…
The Toast to ANARE was given by David Ellyard (M 66 AA 03 CB 12), our MC for the event. David recounted memories of the first NSW Branch Midwinter dinners being somewhat poorly organised and attended, resulting in young bloods Lem Macey, Kit Scally, David and others taking over organisational duties from the mid-1970s. From the first time, partners were allowed to attend which, David noted, raised the tone of the event somewhat! The Response to the Toast was given by John Pinn, Geophysicist, M 57, who related some memories from that year (also the year of the first Sputnik). This was also the start of the International Geophysical Year, from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958, which marked the resumption of scientific interchange between East and West.
The Toast to Expeditioners was given by Patricia Selkirk, the NSW member in attendance who had been South the greatest number of times (16: Q 9xsummers 1979-2004, C 83s, HI 00s, Dry Valleys 4xsummers 1992-98 (Antarctica-NZ), Kerguelen 05s (IPEV), plant biologist). Patricia shared what going South meant to her: not only a lasting interest in Antarctic science but the community and camaraderie of fellow expeditioners, with memories and friendships extending past the life of the expedition. The Response to the Toast was given by Rowan Butler, representing the most recent expeditioner (M 81, C 84, Nella Mar Sci, HI 85, Bunger Hills 86, Club rep 17/18). Rowan remarked on the differences in OHS from his experience at Casey station in 1984 to his return as Club representative in 2017 to the new station.
A delicious lunch was followed by broadcasts of the AAD Season Achievements and the Governor General’s message and then the announcement of the recipients of the Phil Law Medal (congratulations to Max Corry) and the Certificates of Appreciation, awarded to previous state council members. For the NSW Branch, this was Col Christiansen (M C D HI BAS 71-02) and Steve Symonds (Q 72, Club rep 1999/2000). Thank you very much, gentlemen, for your past service to the NSW Branch Council.
The main event was the presentation by guest speaker Dr Stuart Browning. The presentation, “From Frozen Past to Uncertain Future: Antarctica’s Climate in the 21st Century”, described how what happens in Antarctica does not stay in Antarctica: recent events, including stratospheric warmings and unprecedented sea ice loss, have significant impacts beyond the frozen continent. The talk explored Antarctica’s climate history, its role in the global system, and why recent changes are making some scientists nervous.
It was a very engaging presentation and sparked the interest of all, with the 10-minute question time filled. Indeed, so many expeditioners discussed various aspects with Dr Browning up until the end of the event that the NSW Branch Council were considering ways and means of enabling his exit to his next engagement! The talk was enjoyed so much that the NSW Branch Council has invited Dr Browning to write an article for Aurora, including all of the references cited, so that members may explore and research the topic further. Dr Browning will also be presenting this talk at one of the National Council’s series of zoom presentations, so do watch out for that.
The presentation was followed by the sad part of the Midwinter proceedings – departed expeditioners. Tributes were given to those expeditioners who had passed in the preceding year, including Dr Grahame Budd AM (H 54 M 59), Warwick Williams (Q 81 M 84), Jim Hasick (Q 65 68 M 86 92 95) and Dave Carter (M 65 W 67). They are appreciated, and missed.
The last item on the formal part of the agenda was the Call of the Years. Unfortunately, there were no representatives from the most recent decade of the 2020s (although we did receive an apology from a D 24 expeditioner!). Apart from that, every decade was represented from the 2010s back to the 1950s, with John Pinn, M 57, last man standing.
The NSW Midwinter event was a great success and was enjoyed by all attendees. In order not to miss out next year, please forward plan your events and travels around the date of Saturday 27 June 2026, when the NSW Branch looks forward to celebrating Midwinter with you!
