From 1911 to 1914 Mawson led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition and from 1929 to 1931 directed the combined British, Australian, and New Zealand Antarctic Expedition. His explorations enabled Australia to claim some 2,500,000 square miles (6,475,000 square km) of the Antarctic continent.
How did Douglas Mawson change the world?
Mawson’s team discovered the first meteorites in Antarctica . The second year also gave them the time to make the wireless equipment they had brought with them in 1911 work at long range. Mawson’s expedition was the first to connect Antarctica to the outside world by radio.
What happened to Sir Douglas Mawson?
He died at his Brighton home on 14 October 1958 from a cerebral haemorrhage . He was 76 years old. At the time of his death he had still not completed editorial work on all the papers resulting from his expedition, and this was completed by his eldest daughter, Patricia, only in 1975.
Why did Mawson go to Antarctica?
Born in Yorkshire, England, but happily settled in Australia, he had declined the chance to join Robert Falcon Scott’s doomed expedition in order to lead the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, whose chief purpose was to explore and map some of the most remote fastnesses of the white continent .
Who went with Mawson to Antarctica?
Embarking on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) with Mawson, John King Davis captained the Aurora with a crew, 31 expeditioners and materials for living huts, and wireless masts to establish the first radio communications in Antarctica.
Who Discovered Antarctica?
The race to find Antarctica sparked competition to locate the South Pole—and stoked another rivalry. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen found it on December 14, 1911. Just over a month later, Robert Falcon Scott found it, too.
How did Mawson and Mertz survive?
After Ninnis and a sledge carrying most of the food disappeared down a crevasse, 311 miles (500 km) from the expedition’s main hut, Mertz and Mawson headed back west, gradually using the dogs to supplement their remaining food stocks. About 100 miles (160 km) from safety, Mertz died , leaving Mawson to carry on alone.
What does Mawson mean?
The name Mawson was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a stone-mason . The name was originally derived from the Old English or Old French word masson.
What are some of the dangers that Antarctic explorers faced?
Explorers in Antarctica face many challenges. Extreme cold, lack of water, severe windstorms and treacherous crevasses are obvious physical dangers. Less obvious are the problems of boredom, isolation and loneliness.
How many times did Mawson go to Antarctica?
David, reached the south magnetic pole on the high ice plateau of Victoria Land on January 16, 1909. The two men made this landmark journey by sledge. From 1911 to 1914 Mawson led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition and from 1929 to 1931 directed the combined British, Australian, and New Zealand Antarctic Expedition.
What continent is located in the South Pole?
Its latitude is 90 degrees south, and all lines of longitude meet there (as well as at the North Pole, on the opposite end of the Earth). The South Pole is located on Antarctica , one of the Earth’s seven continents.
Who are the 3 famous Antarctic explorers?
- Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862) ...
- Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) ...
- Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) ...
- Jules Dumont (1888-1943) ...
- Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888-1957) ...
- Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) and Frank Wild (1873-1939) ...
- Ann Bancroft (Born 1955)
Did Mawson eat Mertz?
But the real story behind it may have been much darker, according to a new book by an award-wining historian, David Day, who suggests Mawson deliberately starved Mertz to death – and then boiled up his flesh and ate it. ... As he and Mertz began the long trek back, Mawson drastically cut their rations.
Who Discovered Antarctica and Australia?
The British National Antarctic Expedition (1901–04), led by British naval officer and explorer Robert Falcon Scott on board the Discovery, set a new record for reaching the farthest point south when Scott, together with Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest H. Shackleton and English explorer Edward A.
