It is with very sad news that we share the passing of Graham Clarke, who was the Meteorologist on three Marion Island Teams in the 80’s (M39,M40,M41) and also the team leader of M41 for some time of that expedition.
Graham left his Marion Island legacy behind, by contributing 213 photos to the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa Archive (click here to view his collection). Unfortunately his photos have no abstracts and we would like to ask any old team members of Graham to come forward with more information on his collection.
Photos from Graham’s Marion Island Collection.
We are inspired by Graham’s life story after a stroke, more than 30 years back, that left him paralysed from the middle of his mouth down. This did not hold him back. He has been in the media a number of times, due to his ambition and his inspirational life story. For the Afrikaans reader: Read this story about Graham and his family published in ‘Huisgenoot’ in 2016.
39th Marion Overwintering Team, 1982 to 1983. Back: A. Faul (Meteorologist), C. Clarke (Meteorologist), A. du Toit (Medic), S. Fugler (Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology;PFIAO), M. Haupt (Mammal Research Institute;MRI); Front: P. v Rensburg (MRI), W. Pretorius (Senior Meteorologist), N. Newton (PFIAO), C. Grove (Meteorologist), D. v Rooyen (Radio Technician), M. Theron (Diesel Mechanic), M. Element (MRI), J. Walker (Radio Operator).
40th Marion Overwintering Team, 1983 to 1984. Back: M. Boekstein (Meteorologist), S. Chown (Biologist assistant), J. Crafford (Biologist), G. Saunders (Birder), M. Brooke (Biologist), F. Munnik (Radio Technician), C. Gilbert (Biologist assistant), S. Atkinson (Birder), B. Stead (Biologist assistant), G. Clarke (Meteorologist), C. van Rooyen (Medic); Front: J. van Niekerk (Senior Meteorologist), D. May (Diesel Mechanic), P. Esterhuizen (Leader/Meteorologist), L. Lines (Deputy Leader, Communicator), B. Birkett (Meteorologist), L. Chevallier (Geologist); Insert: C. Pretorius (Diesel Mechanic).
41st Marion Overwintering Team, 1984 to 1985. Back: J. Crafford, W. Steele, M. Banfield, J. Stephenson, D. Ashton, P. D’Abreton, J. Cook, J. van der Merwe, J. Marschal, S. Hunter, L. du Plessis; Front: N. Adams, C. Gilbert, C. Brown, E. Rossow (Leader), G. Espitalier-Noel, A. Hunt, P. Bartlett; Insert: G. Clarke (Original Leader)
Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, 26 April 2019
