Biography:Denise Mary Allen

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Short description: Australian Antarctic ecologist
Denise Mary Allen
Born1954
Pinnaroo, South Australia
NationalityAustralia
AwardsAustralian Antarctic Medal
Scientific career
InstitutionsAustralian Antarctic Division

Denise Mary Allen AAM is a Senior Research Scientist who worked with the Australian Antarctic Division.

Early life

Born in Pinnaroo, South Australia 1954, Allen initially trained as a teacher at Adelaide University, but became more interested in other fields and moved to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) where she developed her interest in Antarctica.[1]

in 1986 she received her amateur radio licence and used the callsign VKOYL. She said she would rarely used her microphone after becoming too popular and was often flooded with calls from fellow DXers.[2]

Career and impact

Allen first arrived in Antartica in 1985, working as an Observer for BOM at Macquarie Island.[2] Over the next several years, Allen worked in Antartica as an Observer and Senior Observer, before returning in 2005 as Meteorology OIC, and finally as Senior Meteorological Observer in 2007. All together she took nine trips[3] to Antarctica spending six winters there between 1985-2007,[4] and was the first woman to winter at each of the four Australian Antarctic stations in 1992.[5][6]

After 29 years with BOM, Allen retired[1] and has worked with the ANARE Club as National Social Secretary and Information Technology co-ordinator. She continued to visit Antartica in this capacity.[7]

Awards and honours

On June 21 1989, Allen was awarded the Australian Antarctic Division’s Australian Antarctic Medal for outstanding service in Antarctic scientific research (meteorology) and in support of general expedition duties.[8] She is one of the first women to receive the award, alongside Medical Officer Diana Lynn Williams.[2]

Further reading


References