Dr Jim Hasick AAM

(30 January 1940 – 20 August 2024)

Physicist Macquarie Is ’65, OIC ’68; Mawson SL ’86, ’92, ’95

A profile from fellow expeditioner and long-time friend Trevor Olrog, Polar Medal Q’65 W’67

Jim was born named David James in Shanghai where his British father was working and where his British mother and father were living 1930s. He was there with his parents and his siblings, Alan and Pamela, until post WWII when they resettled in the UK, and was joined by another sibling, Elizabeth.

At school he was an outstanding student; of note is that he was a County Chess Champion. He readily settled into tertiary studies. Jim graduated with a BSc from London University in 1960. His family moved to Australia in 1962 where he completed his Masters at Melbourne University.

Jim had a varied life of teaching and academic work punctuated by several expeditions to the Antarctic and undertaking research into plant growth with an academic supervisor at Macquarie University that led to his doctorate, PhD.

Whilst being an academic, Jim showed his versatility and range of abilities by teaching at secondary schools in Sydney and Coffs Harbour. Later, Jim taught at Knox Grammar for many years. This included running the Camp Knox side of Knox Grammar where this facility provides for tutoring, mentoring and outdoor activities

Within those early years, Jim undertook work for the Sydney City Mission where he provided guidance and tutoring to wayward young men at a residential camp owned by the Mission. In contrast to this, Jim also worked as an analyst with the Government Ionospheric Prediction Service Organisation (IPSO).

It was during those times that Jim learnt of science positions in the Antarctic and Jim successfully applied for a position as physicist with the Australian Antarctic Division – and so began an intense interest in matters Antarctic. The year 1965 at Macquarie Island was his first of a total of five winters with Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions: ANARE.

Jim returned to the Antarctic in 1968 OIC (Station Leader) Macquarie Island. It came as no surprise that Jim continued his service with the Antarctic Division by wintering again as Station Leader at Mawson in 1986 and again at Mawson in 1992 and Mawson 1995. For his valuable services in the Antarctic Jim was awarded the Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM).

It is of note that Huskies had been in Australian Antarctic service since Mawson was established in 1954. Later, in 1991, an international Agreement determined that non-indigenous animal species must not exist in Antarctica. It was then, at the end of Mawson 1992, that Jim had a major project responsibility in arranging for the last Huskies to be repatriated. We note that the older huskies were adopted by Australian families and the majority of huskies went to an Outward Bound School in Minnesota, USA.

We further mention that his many interests included Karate, where Jim became a Black Belt, and one of his ‘dans’ was awarded in Japan.

Such a varied and interesting life. Farewell Jim.