Canberra Times in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

McMurdo Station Grows From Frontier Camp To Civilized Town

McMurdo Station on Ross Island is shedding its frontier feel as permanent buildings rise. By March ten steel structures will stand, with up to thirty more planned the next decade. The population swells to about a thousand in summer, including scientists, technicians, and Navy personnel. The town features bars, theaters, a bus line, a nuclear plant, gym, hospital, and desalination system. Power lines and construction mark a shifting Arctic outpost where the sun never sets October to March. A two story building under construction will be the largest in Antarctica, housing around 200 Navy personnel each winter.