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When Douglas Mawson led an expedition to Antarctica in the early 20th century it heralded what has become known as the heroic era of Antarctic exploration.

At the time, interest in the unclaimed continent ran high, with teams from Britain, Norway, Germany, France, Belgium, Scotland, Japan and Australia and New Zealand mounting expeditions, some of which ended in tragedy.

“Australia and New Zealand have always been anxious for further knowledge of the great frozen continent,” wrote Mawson on the eve of his departure. “Lying within wireless telegraphic distance of our borders, this region has a special call upon Australia. Alive to the value of scientific data there massed, waiting to be collected, I have ardently sought for an opportunity to reap the harvest.”

Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911 – 1914) was to be scientific – not a race to the South Pole like that of Briton Robert Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen whose expeditions achieved legendary status.

The expedition certainly fired public interest and persuaded individuals and international companies to donate supplies, from stationery to food, fuel, medicines, cigarettes, and photographic plates. The intention was to establish four wellprovisioned bases.

The steam yacht Aurora left Australia at the beginning of December, 1911. It stopped at Macquarie Island, just above where the Antarctic currents meet warmer waters, leaving a party to establish a wireless relay station and scientific base on the island known only to sealers and penguin oil harvesters.

On 8 January, 1912, the Aurora arrived at Cape Denison and Mawson’s team began work on the Main Hut that served as living quarters for 18 men, workshop, storeroom and kennels. Steel wire cables were passed over the roof and secured it to the underlying rock formation to resist the winds.

The completion of the hut called for the unfurling of the Union Jack as Mawson claimed possession of the area for the British Empire. While the claim was not formally endorsed, it helped lay the foundation for the formal claim two decades later that established the 5.9 million square kilometres of the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Although the geologist’s balaclava-clad head was on Australia’s $100 note, many believe Mawson’s expedition should enjoy a far higher profile. Its legacy now sees annual visits by 21st century scientists gathering data on everything from global warming to the health of the local penguin populations.

Antarctica contains geological features that are important for the understanding of the break-up of the Gondwana southern continent 55 million years ago, which is why Australian scientists have a significant research presence there. And it is adventurous stories such as Mawson’s that could well encourage more students to study sciences – from geology to archaeological conservation – and the expedition’s centenary this year has been an ideal platform for raising awareness.

The Mawson’s Huts Foundation was established in 1996 with this aim. It has since raised more than $7 million in grants and sponsorship from the government, corporate Australia and individuals for the preservation of the historic site in Antarctica .

Published in Uniview Vol. 31 No. 3 Spring 2012