The Surgery to the left in the photo is annexed onto this building & houses a consulting room, small hospital ward, fully equipped operating theatre, sterilization equipment & a dentists suite. A doctor is stationed at Maquarie Island all year round and several expedition members also undertake extensive training in theatre nursing & anaethetics prior to departing Australia. All expeditioners are required to undertake courses in advanced first aid. The doctor also takes dentistry courses & is required to undergo an appendectomy prior to departure. This year, Dr. Ingrid McGaughy is the Macquarie Island Medical Officer. Ingrid previously spent a year at Mawson Station on the Antarctic continent in 1998.
The small hill behind the Mess is Ham Shack Hill. The Ham Shack (on the seaward side of the hill & not visible in this photo) used to be used by previous amateurs operating from Macquarie Island, however nowadays it tends to get used as an alternative to the Mess. The small antenna on the summit is connected to the local 25 Watt stereo FM station (Radio Penguin) in the Ham Shack which is fed with audio from the Mess stereo system. VKØMM operates from the remote transmitter hut about 1km from the main station, as this provides direct access to several large Vee beams.