BAMOS October 2021
10 Article Ships of science
Australian Antarctic Division
New Australian Antarctic icebreaker RSV Nuyina © Damen 2021 .
Inset : the Aurora Australis served the Australian Antarctic Program for 30 years © Doug Thost .
The RSV Nuyina is scheduled to arrive in Hobart on Saturday 16 October 2021 . The ship will support the cutting-edge science of the Australian Antarctic Program and resupply Australia ’ s Antarctic research stations .
New Antarctic icebreaker RSV Nuyina embodies more than a century of Australian maritime history in the Southern Ocean .
Australian Antarctic Division General Manager responsible for the icebreaker project , Rob Bryson , said every ship that is designed for a national Antarctic program is based on what ’ s come before .
“ This ship is a significant milestone in Australia ’ s interaction and endeavours in Antarctic history , because it represents all of the knowledge and technology that ’ s been used over those hundred years ,” he said .
Since Douglas Mawson sailed on SY Aurora , ships have been critical to Australia ’ s scientific research in the Antarctic region .
The wooden steam yacht enabled construction of the first Australian base in Antarctica , at Cape Denison in 1912 , and scientific discoveries that continue to inform contemporary science .
The J . Lauritzen Line MV Dan ships from Denmark were synonymous with the early years of ANARE ( Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions ), after its formation in 1947 .
In 1954 , Kista Dan helped establish Australia ’ s first modern Antarctic research station at Mawson , followed by our second Antarctic station at Davis in 1957 , and research stations on Heard and Macquarie islands .
From 1957 – 1962 , Kista ’ s sister ships , Thala Dan and Magga Dan , supported Australia ’ s Antarctic program .
The much-loved Nella Dan , which served for 26 years from 1962 – 1987 , set the standard for polar vessels at the time , and was critical to the development of Australia ’ s modern Antarctic and Southern Ocean marine science program .
This included major contributions to our understanding of ocean basins between Australia and Antarctica .
But in 1987 , tragedy struck on Macquarie Island .
Nuyina Science Coordination Manager , Jono Reeve , was on the island at the time .