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ACCORDING to historical records, 1899 was the first year an Australian
scientist spent the winter in Antarctica. The practice became far more common
after 1947 when Australia established ANARE, the Australian National Antarctic
Research Expedition. In the 50 years since then almost 2600 men and women have
spent all or part of the winter in Antarctica. To mark ANARE’s silver jubilee,
Tim Bowden, broadcaster and historian, has written the story of those
Australians who have lived and worked in Antarctica, often under extreme and
dangerous conditions. His book, The Silence Calling, was published last
week by Allen&Unwin. It costs $59.95.