The Australian Antarctic Medal, established in 1987, is an award in the Meritorious Service Awards category of the Australian Honours System. The Australian Antarctic Medal replaced the (British) Imperial Polar Medal and its variations which date back to 1857 for service in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
The Australian Antarctic Medal is awarded by the Governor-General with the authority of the Queen to an Australian citizen or other person nominated by the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Antarctic matters, who has given "outstanding service in scientific research or exploration, or in support of such work, in the course of, or in connection with, an Australian Antarctic Expedition". Recipients of the Australian Antarctic Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AAM".
The Australian Antarctic Names and Medals Committee provides an objective and independent assessment of nominations for the award and makes recommendations to the responsible Minister or Parliamentary Secretary. The Minister or Parliamentary Secretary then provides his or her recommendations to the Governor-General by the end of May each year.
The Governor-General announces the awards in a special Honours List on Midwinter's Day, 21 June, a time of traditional significance to all who have worked in the Antarctic.
The Australian Antarctic Medal is awarded by the Governor-General with the authority of the Queen to an Australian citizen or other person nominated by the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Antarctic matters, who has given "outstanding service in scientific research or exploration, or in support of such work, in the course of, or in connection with, an Australian Antarctic Expedition". Recipients of the Australian Antarctic Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "AAM".
The Australian Antarctic Names and Medals Committee provides an objective and independent assessment of nominations for the award and makes recommendations to the responsible Minister or Parliamentary Secretary. The Minister or Parliamentary Secretary then provides his or her recommendations to the Governor-General by the end of May each year.
The Governor-General announces the awards in a special Honours List on Midwinter's Day, 21 June, a time of traditional significance to all who have worked in the Antarctic.
Except in exceptional circumstances, the recipient of a medal will have worked for not less than 12 months (may be an aggregate) in the Antarctic climate south of latitude 60°south or elsewhere in the Antarctic region where "the rigours of Antarctic climate and terrain prevail".
It is expected that any person proposed for the award of the Australian Antarctic Medal will have made a unique and significant contribution to the Australian Antarctic Program. The award is not for long service, nor is it for the discharge of an expeditioner's normal duties, however well performed.
Unique among the Meritorious Service Awards, the Australian Antarctic Medal can be awarded to the same person for a second and subsequent occasion, however to date this has not occurred. Similarly, unlike any of the other Meritorious Service Awards, there is no quota imposed on the number of awards per year.
The last awards of the Polar Medal covered expeditions up to 1980, and the first recipients of the Australian Antarctic Medal were announced on 22 June 1987. This group included expeditions from 1981 onward.
The medal is octagonal in shape with the obverse bearing a stylized map of Australia and the Antarctic, surrounded by the inscription "For Outstanding Service in the Antarctic". On the reverse of the medal there is a depiction of an expeditioner walking into drifting snow with Mawson's Hut in the background. Surmounting the medal is a small six-sided ice-crystal device linking the medal to its suspension bar. The medal is suspended by a 32 millimetre wide white moiré ribbon, edged on each side with three narrow stripes of blue, representing the transition of water to ice as one approaches Antarctica. A date bar is attached to the ribbon, designating the period of service in Antarctica for which the medal has been awarded, or, in the case of consecutive years, the year in which the award was made.
A lapel badge, identical to the ice crystal device, is provided for wearing on any occasion.
LIST OF RECIPIENTS OF THE AWARD
1987
Besso, Ricky
Blaby, David Andrew
Burton, Harry Roy
Corcoran, John Gerard
Cosgrove, Charles Henry Lewis
Ellson, Malcolm Charles
Everett, Anthony Peter
Fletcher, Lloyd Douglas
Morris, Raymond John
Orchard, Robert Campbell
Pottage, David Arnold
Reid, Donald Alexander
Rollins, Shane Anthony
Schmitter, Ulrich
Sullivan, Peter Graham
Westerhoff, Herman Henk Edward
1988
Allison, Ian Frederick
Betts, Martin Stephen
Conrick, Neil Joseph
Dietrich, Maxwell Cecil
Robinson, William Leslie
Sorensen, Bernard William
1989
Allen, Denise Mary
Barnaart, Willem Philip
McCormack, David Rockley
O'Reilly, Daniel Henry
Rachinger, Russel Albert
Robertson, Graham George
Williams, Diana Lynn
1990
Grant, David John
Ledingham, Roderick Bentley
Tingey, Robert John
Twigg, Dudley Raymond
Wehrle, Egon
Weir, Charlie Robert Reid
1991
Gormly, Peter James
Mills, Graham John
Osborn, Eric William
Ware, William Royce
1992
Hotchin, Murray James
Mackereth, Jeffrey Roger
Williams, Richard
1993
Bruehwiler, Albert
Hasick, David James
Kerry, Knowles Ronald
Munro, Paul John
Pike, Ray James
1994
Brand, Russell James
Burton, Howard Douglas
Moore, Geoffrey James
1995
Erb, Erwin
Franzmann, Peter Damian
Hornsby, Norman Leigh
Kiernan, Robert Patrick
Morgan, Vincent Ivor
Zwar, Meredy Jane
1996
Clarke, Judith Rebekah
Craven, Trevor Michael
Jones, Robert Tracy
Rooke, Allen Carey
Symons, Lloyd Peter
1997
Delaney, Paul Robert
1998
Easther, Robert Leslie
1999
Whittle, Michael Robert
2000
Jones, John Joseph
Mortimer, Nicolas Andrew
Wilcock, Madeleine Sarah
Reinke, Andrew Jason
Watson, Garry Iain
2001
Elcheikh, Alan
Johnson, Joseph Vaughan
McLean, Ian John
Main, Dale Allan
Sprunk, Peter Helmut
Stone, Michael Stephen
2002
Reeve, Jonathon James
2003
None awarded
2004
