VK0YL 1986 Macquarie Island

Operator: Denise Mary Allen

Denise  was  the  first  woman  to  become  a  Senior  Observer  with  the  Bureau  of  Meteorology  (in 1988) and one of the two first  women  (with  medical  officer  Lynn  Williams)  to be awarded the  prestigious  Antarctic Medal for outstanding  service  to  the  Antarctic.  She  also  was  the  first  woman  to  complete  postings  to  all  four  of Australia's Antarctic bases,  Macquarie  Island,  Casey,  Davis  and  Mawson.  She  gained  her  amateur  licence  and  held  the  callsign  VK0YL  for  the  year  of  1986.  She  says  she  didn't  use  the  microphone very often once  she realised just   how  popular  she   was  with   all   the  keen  DXers.  One  call  and  she  was  smothered  under  an  avalanche  of  calls.  All  those  QSL  cards!

QSL, Photo, Info courtesy of W5KNE
Photo by VK3AH sk in 1984, W5KNE Collection
Info from Amateur Radio Magazine (Australia), July 2004, p. 28.