Who We Are
The ANARE Club was formed in 1951 so members of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) could stay in touch and celebrate their shared experiences. ANARE was run from 1947 by the Australian Antarctic Division and is now called the Australian Antarctic program based in Tasmania. Each year it sends teams south to research stations at Macquarie Island, Mawson, Davis & Casey. Returned expeditioners can join the ANARE Club to maintain friendships, access resources and stay in touch with what’s happening down south. The Club is also open to anyone interested in the Antarctic.
What We Do
Members receive a quarterly journal called the “Aurora”, are kept informed of Midwinter dinners held in June in each of the States, can log in and connect with friends and search our online resources about current and past events.
Our Committee
We have a National Council overseeing the workings of the Club as well as representation in each State. National Council meets quarterly often in different States and holds an AGM around August where office bearers are elected for the following year.
ANARE Club office bearers for 2022-2023:
- President
- – George Friend
- Vice President
- – David Dodd
- Secretary
- – Melanie van Twest
- Treasurer
- – Chris Eavis
- Membership Officer
- – Chris Eavis
- Sales Officer
- – Brian Harvey
- Information Technology
- – Peter Field
Our History
The Club was founded in 1951 by veterans of the first ANARE. The inaugural meeting of the ‘ANARE Ex-Member Association’ took place at J Block, Albert Park Barracks, on Monday 22nd October 1951. The meeting was convened by Alan Campbell-Drury, following discussions with Phillip Law, director of the Antarctic Division. Law was elected president, Campbell-Drury secretary, and Lem Macey assistant secretary. A further meeting on 29 October decided that the organisation would be called the ‘ANARE Club’.
Initially, the majority of ANARE expeditioners were from Victoria; because the ANARE office was based at Victoria Barracks in St Kilda Road, Melbourne, and early recruitment was largely by word of mouth or via the ‘old boy’ network. With time, however, more and more ANARE members were recruited from other states, and even overseas.
Today a number of states have active ANARE Club Branches under the umbrella of the Melbourne-based National Council and other regions have ANARE activities without the formality of a branch being formed. Although Victoria still has the greatest number of ANARE Club members, there are also large numbers in the other states, territories and overseas.
Many of the State Branches maintain their own websites; these websites advertise local news and events, and present articles which reflect particular Branch interests.
Our Constitution
The ANARE Club Constitutions forms the rules of our association.
Antarctic Service Awards
Including Information regarding unclaimed retrospective Australian Antarctic Medallions
Antarctic Service Awards have been awarded to expeditioners in recognition of their service to Antarctica.
The retrospective issue of the Australian Antarctic Medallion recognises ANARE service for the period between the issue of the Imperial Polar Medal, and current issue of the Antarctic Service Medallion to wintering expeditioners. Circumstances varied but across the five stations, Heard Island, Macquarie Island, Mawson, Davis and Wilkes the period of concern spanned the years 1948 to 1972. The issue was announced by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Antarctic, Senator Ian Macdonald, in a press release of 31 October 1997.
Any expeditioners or next of kin identified in connection with the attached list, should be contacted and invited to contact Reception, at the Australian Antarctic Division on 03 6232 3209, for details regarding claiming medallions.
Antarctic Heritage Project
The “material culture” of our Australian Antarctic heritage takes on many forms.
Some of it can be seen on display at various collecting institutions, some of it forms part of research collections held by the same institutions and can be accessed by request.
Click here to enquire if you have heritage items you may wish to preserve for the Club: Antarctic Heritage Project – Call to Action
ANARE: Serving & supporting current and former Australian Antarctic expeditioners…
bringing Antarctic life to the wider public.
