Australian Antarctic Medal

The Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM) is awarded for outstanding service in scientific research or exploration in connection with an Australian Antarctic Division expedition or for support of such work.

The AAM was introduced in 1987 and replaced the Imperial award of the Polar Medal of the United Kingdom. Announcements of the award are usually made on 21 June in a special Midwinter's Day honours list.

The AAM is an octagonal silver-nickel medal with a hexagonal ice-crystal device which links the medal to the suspension bar. The obverse, which can be seen here, depicts the Southern Hemisphere showing Australia and the Antarctic enclosed by the inscription "For Outstanding Service in the Antarctic".

The reverse of the medal shows an Antarctic expeditioner leaning into a blizzard to use an ice pick outside Mawson’s Hut. The ice-crystal device is repeated on the reverse of the medal. See the attachment

The 32 mm wide ribbon is snow-white with three shades of blue merging into the white, representing the colours of the landscape.

see attachment for an image of the back of the medal