Wilkes Station

Wilkes Station
Antarctic base
Wilkes Station in 1988
Wilkes Station in 1988
Location of Wilkes Station in Antarctica
Location of Wilkes Station in Antarctica
Wilkes Station
Location of Wikes Station in Antarctica
Coordinates: 66°15′25″S 110°31′37″E / 66.256951°S 110.526862°E / -66.256951; 110.526862
Country United States
 Australia
Location in AntarcticaWilkes Land
Antarctica
Administered byUnited States Navy
Australian Antarctic Division
Established29 January 1957 (1957-01-29) 7 February 1959 (1959-02-07) to Australia
Evacuated1969 (1969)
Named forCharles Wilkes
Population
 • Total
  • Up to 24
TypeAll-year round
PeriodAnnual
StatusAbandoned
WebsiteWilkes Station AAD
Wilkes Station, 1957
1988 photo shows diesel oil drums in the foreground, oil spill is visible on the left in the middle distance, the Icebird (ship) is visible at anchor in Vincennes Bay. The new Casey Station is visible on the skyline at the left of the photo in the distance across the bay.
Photograph shows a partially destroyed explosive satchel used for ice acoustic analysis. A large number of similar satchels were distributed over an area estimated at 1000m square after a prior failed attempt to destroy old explosives.
Photograph shows a number of discarded hydrogen gas cylinders used for meteorological analysis at Wilkes Station in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Wilkes Station was an Antarctic research station established 29 January 1957 by the United States as one of seven U.S. stations established for the International Geophysical Year (IGY) program in Antarctica. It was taken over by Australia on 7 February 1959.