Aussies were forced to work in Antarctica, with some positions paying $150,000

An urgent call for adventurous Australians to work on Australia’s Antarctic bases, with the roles offering huge salaries for those willing to endure the cold.

The Australian Antarctic Program has more than 150 positions available working at research stations in the South for up to 12 months.

Cooks, supply officers, station managers, electricians, carpenters, and information technology officers are among the 32 different positions offered at Davis, Mawson, and Casey research stations.

The fourth station, Macquarie Island, is in the sub-Antarctic region, about halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica.

Wages are good, you can learn new skills, explore Earth’s last great wilderness — and you’ll also get $65,341 per year in perks on top of your base salary while you work in Antarctica.

For example, a carpenter earns a base salary of up to $79,801 per year – plus an additional allowance of $65,341 per year. Meanwhile, a chef would receive a base salary of $79,801 per year, along with an allowance of $65,341.

Rent and meals are free at the four bases where chefs prepare your meals, but prepare to endure temperatures of -57°C in the coldest months.

An urgent call has been issued for adventurous Australians to work on Antarctic bases

If you’re a chef, you could be heading to Antarctica next season

Maree Riley, organizational psychologist and recruitment specialist for the Australian Antarctic Division, said it was a workplace like no other.

“Antarctica exercises such curiosity in people and this is an opportunity to work on the coldest and most remote continent on Earth to support Australia’s climate and marine science,” said Ms. Riley.

“Our Antarctic research informs global policy on climate change and ecosystem management, and the people who keep our stations running are a critical part of that effort.”

“Teams live close together for months, so it’s important to recruit the right community-oriented people, including the personal qualities people need to embody to be considered for the AAP.”

“We are looking for a range of skills, backgrounds and genders to fill these important supportive roles and want to hear from anyone who believes they can make a positive contribution,” said Ms. Riley.

All successful applicants must undergo a personal aptitude test as well as extensive medical and psychological examinations before they can be deployed

In addition to qualifications and experience, expedition members should be versatile, proactive, community-oriented, and flexible

One of the positions currently being recruited is station support staff, who is paid $71,068 per year plus a $65,341 remote bonus. The work includes cleaning, kitchen work and housekeeping

Mechanical tradesmen are also hired to maintain and operate mechanical plants and equipment, maintain and operate the power plant facilities, and work outdoors in frigid conditions

In summer, when access is easy, each of the four bases can accommodate up to 100 people.

When the long winter night falls, the stations are evacuated except for an emergency crew of about 20 people – sometimes as few as 14 – who are left trapped there above the great freeze.

The small community must rely on each other to protect each other and keep the station going in the cold and dark.

Because of this isolation, everyone has to get along, so the Australian Antarctic Division assesses each applicant’s psychological and medical suitability for the posting, as well as their personal qualities, more rigorously than they would for an ordinary job.

The jobs are open to both men and women who can enjoy the remote and isolated wards, connect well with others, learn new skills and keep the spirits high.

There tend to be more men than women on stations, with 82 per cent of this season’s workers being men and 18 per cent women – however this year Macquarie Island became Australia’s first Antarctic station with an even split.

The average age of the employees is 43 years.

Video recordings from the stations show workers enjoying life, celebrating Christmas, playing the guitar and helping out in the kitchen together.

The relaxed lifestyle shows people kicking back with a beer after a hard day’s work, playing table tennis or pool, biking on the ice and mountain climbing.

From their remote outpost, workers can see glaciers, emperor penguins, seals, and Antarctic wonders like the Aurora Australis.

Fresh vegetables and salads are hydroponically grown in special rooms to ensure high food quality.