Women At Scott Base In 5 Years'

Press, Issue 31095, 25 June 1966, Page 21

Women At Scott Base In 5 Years'

Qualified women will do research from Scott Base within the next five years, said Mr R. B. Thomson, superintendent of the Antarctic Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in an interview in Christchurch.

Mr Thomson said the division already had received many applications from qualified women for a number of research posts. “In addition we had a number of applications from nurses who sought any sort of job where qualifications were not particularly necessary,” he said. “Last year I said the possibility of having women at Scott Base was for the future. Now I believe we will have them there within five years.” Mr Thomson and the Scott Base leader for next season, Mr C. Clarke, of Christchurch, have Interviewed applicants seeking to work in the Antarctic next season.

Mr Thomson said that there had been about 600

applicants from throughout the Dominion. This was a 50 per cent increase over last year.

“Christchurch has not supplied the number of applicants this year that it has in the past although the

quality of the applicants is probably higher than it has ever been,” said Mr Thomson. “More professional men

with degrees have sought the) jobs. We rarely had this sort of response before. The greatest number of i applicants sought field assistant posts while the least! number was for scientific and technical jobs, said Mr Thomson. Some of the Christchurch men who had applied for field assistant jobs were away assisting in the search and! rescue on Mount Rolleston, said Mr Thomson. “In fair-

more power for Scott Base. “Unfortunately, the equip-

ment is sitting in the hold of a ship at Glasgow so we don’t know just when we will get it,” he said.

ness to them we shall have to return to continue the interviews.” Mr Thomson said there ; were plans to install new; generating equipment which would provide 75 per cent

Dinghy Sails.—William Willis, the 72-year-o'd mariner,; set sail alone yesterday from New York for England in his lljft yawl-rigged dinghy! Little One.—New York, June 23.