About us

The Australian Antarctic Division leads Australia's Antarctic program. As a division of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, our charter is to ensure Australia's Antarctic interests are advanced.

The Australian Antarctic program has four goals

1. Maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia's influence in it
2. Protect the Antarctic environment
3. Understand the role of Antarctica in the global climate system
4. Undertake scientific work of practical, economic and national significance

Under its charter the Australian Antarctic Division

• administers the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
• conducts research in high priority areas of Antarctic science
• coordinates and manages Australia's logistic program in Antarctica
• promotes Antarctic research in universities through grants and the provision of logistic support
• develops policy proposals and provides advice on Australia's Antarctic interests
• promotes Australia's Antarctic interests within the Antarctic Treaty System
• maintains a continuing presence in the region through permanent stations, the establishment of field bases and the provision of transport, communication and medical services
• acts as the primary source of Australian Antarctic information

Staff and facilities

Over 300 permanent staff are employed, including

• support centre, policy and science personnel based at Kingston in Tasmania
• the summer and wintering expeditioners serving in the Antarctic and subantarctic
• key programme scientists located at the University of Tasmania

The Kingston buildings house laboratories for science, electronics and electron microscopy, mechanical and instrument workshops, a krill research aquarium, a herbarium, equipment stores, communications and other operational and support facilities.

Science

Major science programs and individual research projects are developed to achieve Australia's key Antarctic science goals, which are reviewed periodically in line with national and global research priorities. Collaborative research programs are also conducted with other Australian agencies, research institutions and international bodies.

Antarctic environmental management

We develop and administer Australia's Antarctic environmental management plans and provides Australia's input to the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Madrid Protocol. We are the first national operator amongst Treaty countries to implement a certified Environmental Management System to the international standard ISO14001.

Stations

Australia maintains three stations on the Antarctic continent — Mawson, Davis, and Casey — and a subantarctic station on Macquarie Island. All have modern buildings with living quarters, research laboratories, power houses, stores, workshops and other operational facilities. Remote field bases operate during the summer research season, supporting coastal, inland and traverse operations.

Sea and air transport

Australia's icebreaker, RSV Aurora Australis is the platform for a large annual marine research effort focussed on the Southern Ocean and assists in resupplying our research stations, with additional ships chartered when required. Resupply ships depend on favourable sea-ice conditions and can operate only during the summer season. A jet aircraft link, between Hobart and a new 3.5 km blue-ice runway near Casey, will greatly improve access and increase Australia's field support capability. Long range fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters operate in summer between the Antarctic continental stations and field research sites.

Research data and publications

The Australian Antarctic Data Centre integrates the research data sets created by our science programs and makes these accessible to scientists globally via the internet. Scientific publications are listed on our website.

The Antarctic Treaty

One of the most successful of international agreements, the Antarctic Treaty has provided the basis for managing the Antarctic since its entry into force in 1961. The treaty has put aside the potential for differences over questions of sovereignty and provides for scientific cooperation.

With over 100 years of direct involvement in the region, and claiming 42% of the continent, Australia has strong interests in the Treaty and takes its responsibilities as a Treaty nation very seriously. Australia took a leading role in the formulation of the Treaty and is one of the 12 original signatories and Consultative Parties. 46 nations are now party to the Antarctic Treaty.

We provide a strong and informed voice in all forums of the Antarctic Treaty system which includes the Treaty and several related instruments including

• Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals - regulates any future commercial sealing, totally protecting some species and setting catch limits for others
• Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
  (CCAMLR) - regards the Southern Ocean as an integrated ecosystem, protects species and regulates fishing. The AAD leads Australia's scientific and policy effort within CCAMLR
• Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
  (Madrid Protocol) - bans mining and gives legal force to environmental protection measures to ensure environmental impact assessment of all activities, conserve Antarctic living organisms, manage waste disposal, prevent marine pollution, and protect special areas

Related organisations in which we are active include

Committee for Environmental Protection
(CEP)

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
(SCAR)

Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs
(COMNAP)

Standing Committee on Antarctic Logistics and Operations
(SCALOP)

Public information

We bring Antarctica closer to all Australians through our popular website, special publications, educational resources, and by making Antarctica accessible to film makers, journalists, writers and artists through the annual Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship. We also manage a substantial polar research library and collections of photographs and audio-visual materials that form a major part of Australia's Antarctic heritage.