A member of the scientific staff of Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition (1907), Mawson, together with T.W.E. David, reached the south magnetic pole on the high ice plateau of Victoria Land on January 16, 1909 .
How long was Mawson in Antarctica?
While undertaking a doctorate at Sydney University, Douglas Mawson joined Ernest Shackleton’s 1907 to 1909 Nimrod expedition as a geologist, his first Antarctic experience. Along with his mentor Professor T.W. Edgeworth David, Mawson completed the longest Antarctic man-hauling sledge journey of 122 days .
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 .
Where did Douglas Mawson travel?
Mawson chose to lead his own expedition, the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, to King George V Land and Adelie Land , the sector of the Antarctic continent immediately south of Australia, which at the time was almost entirely unexplored.
Who went with Douglas Mawson to Antarctica?
The 32-year-old Mawson left with two younger companions – Xavier Mertz , a Swiss mountaineer and ski champion, and Lieutenant Belgrave Ninnis, a 23-year-old British army officer. With 12 dogs and two sledges, the party headed to the far east of Cape Denison.
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.
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.
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 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.
Where is Mawson Base in Antarctica?
Established in 1954, Mawson is the longest continuously operating station south of the Antarctic Circle. Mawson is the most westerly of Australia’s 3 continental stations. It is situated about 5,200 km south-west of Perth .
How did Douglas Mawson change the world?
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.
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 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.
