Polish Station Dobrowolsky, WAP POL-NEW

Polish Antarctic Stations Antoni B. Dobrowolski is located an Bunger Hills, 66° 16′ 30″ South, 100° 45′ 00″ East.

The Station with two buildings able to guest 8 people, was originally built by the Soviet Antarctic Expeditions the Oct. 16th  1956 and named Oazis  then, on 23rd January 1959, it has been handed over to the Academy of Sciences of the Polish People’s Republic by the Soviet Academy. The Polish named it Dobrowolski Station in memory of  Antoni B. Dobrowolski (1872-1954), geophysicist and glaciologist, who participated in the Belgica Antarctic Expedition (1877-79). 

Unfortunately,  just few weeks later the Station has been closed. On February 22, 1979 (with preparations starting February 18) the station was reactivated for a short time, but an overwintering attempt failed, and the occupants had to be evacuated to Mirny Station (350 km to the west) on March 17 1979.

The Soviet Union became interested in the Bunger Hills again in the late 1980s, and built a new station – Oazis-2 – a few hundred meters to the west of Dobrowolski. The station was used for summer visits up to the mid-1990s (Bunger Oasis Station WAP RUS-NEW)

About 7 kilometres from Dobrowolski, Australia has maintained the summer-only station Edgeworth David Base,   named after Edgeworth David, since 1986.

The concrete pillar erected by the First Polish Antarctic Expedition at Dobrowolski Station in January 1959 for gravity measurements, and the magnetic observatory at the station with plaque in memory of the opening of Oazis Station in 1956, are recognized as Antarctic Historic Sites Nr.10.