Dingle, William Robert John (Bob) (1920 - 2016)

Summary

Bob Dingle was a weather observer for the Bureau of Meteorology who in a 25-year career with the Bureau was often posted to remote and inhospitable places. He overwintered in Antarctica seven times. Seconded several times to the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) he served at all five of Australia's Antarctic stations in the 1950s. Dingle was sole weather observer in the party that established Mawson Station and officer-in-charge of Wilkes Station after its transfer from the U.S.A. to Australia. Later he was seconded to the U.S. Byrd and Plateau Stations, and participated in research programs for the University of Melbourne Meteorology Department (UNIMET). Between 1968 and 1972 he was senior Australian weather observer on the US Navy ship Eltanin in the Southern Ocean for 18 research cruises. A keen photographer, in 2011 Dingle published a book of his own Antarctic photos.

Details

Chronology

1939 - 1947

Career position - Served as wireless operator with Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

1949

Life event - Migrated to Australia

1950 - 1975

Life event - Weather Observer, Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology

1956

Award - Polar Medal

1960

Award - Polar Medal with clasp

1975

Life event - Retired

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Dartnall, Herbert J. G., 'Vale Bob Dingle: 1920 - 2016', Australian Antarctic Magazine, 31 (2016), 24. Details
• Dartnall, Herbert J. G., 'Bob Dingle 1920 - 2016', Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, 29 (3) (2016), 70-1. Details
• Dartnall, Herbert J. G., 'Bob Dingle - pathfinder at war and in the Antarctic', Papers and proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 152 (2018), 53-9. Details

Resources

• 'Dingle, William Robert John (1920-20161231)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1772749. Details