Mawson's Huts
Encyclopedia
"Mawson's Huts" are the collection of buildings located at Cape Denison
, Commonwealth Bay
, in the far eastern sector of the Australian Antarctic Territory
, some 3000 km south of Hobart. The buildings were erected and occupied by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition
(AAE) of 1911-1914, led by geologist
and explorer Sir Douglas Mawson
.
Mawson's Huts are rare as one of just six surviving sites from the Heroic Era of Antarctic exploration. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was the only Heroic Era expedition organised, manned and supported primarily by Australians.
The huts included a magnetograph
hut, used to measure variations in the south magnetic pole
; an absolute magnetic hut, which was used as a reference point for studies in the magnetograph hut; and the transit hut, an astronomical observatory.
The most important building at the site is the winter living quarters, known as "Mawson's Hut". This pyramid-roofed hut was home to the eighteen men of the AAE main base party in 1912, and the seven (including Douglas Mawson) who stayed on for an unplanned second year in 1913. The hut combines two sections - the living quarters and the workshop, prefabricated in Sydney and Melbourne respectively, and shipped to the site for construction in 1912 by the AAE team.
The site is recognised under the Antarctic Treaty as a Historic Site & Monument (since 1972), and placed within an Antarctic Specially Protected Area and an Antarctic Specially Managed Area (in 2004). It is also on the Australian National Heritage List
, Commonwealth Heritage List and Register of the National Estate
.
The Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Minister for the Environment & Water Resources released for public comment a new management plan for the Mawson's Huts Historic Site in July 2007. The plan sets the principles that will guide activities to preserve the heritage values of the site in the lead-up to the centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.
Cape Denison
Cape Denison is a rocky point at the head of Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica. It was discovered in 1912 by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson, who named it for Sir Hugh Denison of Sydney, a patron of the expedition...
, Commonwealth Bay
Commonwealth Bay
Commonwealth Bay is an open bay about 48 km wide at the entrance between Point Alden and Cape Gray in Antarctica. It was discovered in 1912 by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson, who established the main base of the expedition at Cape Denison at the head of the bay...
, in the far eastern sector of the Australian Antarctic Territory
Australian Antarctic Territory
The Australian Antarctic Territory is a part of Antarctica. It was claimed by the United Kingdom and placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation...
, some 3000 km south of Hobart. The buildings were erected and occupied by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition
Australasian Antarctic Expedition
The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was an Australasian scientific team that explored part of Antarctica between 1911 and 1914. It was led by the Australian geologist Douglas Mawson, who was knighted for his achievements in leading the expedition. In 1910 he began to plan an expedition to chart...
(AAE) of 1911-1914, led by geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and explorer Sir Douglas Mawson
Douglas Mawson
Sir Douglas Mawson, OBE, FRS, FAA was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer and Academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton, Mawson was a key expedition leader during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.-Early work:He was appointed geologist to an...
.
Mawson's Huts are rare as one of just six surviving sites from the Heroic Era of Antarctic exploration. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was the only Heroic Era expedition organised, manned and supported primarily by Australians.
The huts included a magnetograph
Magnetograph
A magnetograph is one of two types of scientific instrument:* A special type of magnetometer that records a time plot of the local magnetic field near the instrument; or...
hut, used to measure variations in the south magnetic pole
South Magnetic Pole
The Earth's South Magnetic Pole is the wandering point on the Earth's surface where the geomagnetic field lines are directed vertically upwards...
; an absolute magnetic hut, which was used as a reference point for studies in the magnetograph hut; and the transit hut, an astronomical observatory.
The most important building at the site is the winter living quarters, known as "Mawson's Hut". This pyramid-roofed hut was home to the eighteen men of the AAE main base party in 1912, and the seven (including Douglas Mawson) who stayed on for an unplanned second year in 1913. The hut combines two sections - the living quarters and the workshop, prefabricated in Sydney and Melbourne respectively, and shipped to the site for construction in 1912 by the AAE team.
Conservation and heritage recognition
Expeditions undertaken by the Australian government (through the Australian Antarctic Division since the late 1970s) and private non-profit conservation organisations (notably the Mawson's Huts Foundation since 1997) have carried out conservation work on the huts. In addition to archaeological recording, removal of snow from inside the huts and ongoing maintenance, recent interventions (1998 and 2006) have been to encapsulate the failing timber roofs with new timber over-cladding in order to weatherproof the interiors.The site is recognised under the Antarctic Treaty as a Historic Site & Monument (since 1972), and placed within an Antarctic Specially Protected Area and an Antarctic Specially Managed Area (in 2004). It is also on the Australian National Heritage List
Australian National Heritage List
The Australian National Heritage List is a list of places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia. The list includes natural, historic and indigenous places...
, Commonwealth Heritage List and Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.
The Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Minister for the Environment & Water Resources released for public comment a new management plan for the Mawson's Huts Historic Site in July 2007. The plan sets the principles that will guide activities to preserve the heritage values of the site in the lead-up to the centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.
Resources
- Australian Antarctic Division (2007 Mawson's Huts Historic Site Management Plan 2007-2012.
- Mackay, R (2005) ‘Ice, icon and identity: the meaning of Mawson’s huts’. In Lydon, J & Ireland, T (eds) Object Lessons: Archaeology & Heritage in Australia.
- Mawson, D (1915) Home of the Blizzard: being the story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914.
- Pearson, M (1992). ‘Expedition huts in Antarctica: 1899-1917’. Polar Record 28, 167: 261-276.
External links
- Australian National Heritage listing for Mawson's Huts and Mawson's Huts Historic Site
- Home of the Blizzard — the Australasian Antarctic Expedition
- The Mawson's Huts Foundation
- "Frozen in Time" fulldome planetarium show about Mawson's Huts
- "Frozen in Time" fulldome planetarium show about Mawson's Huts - online video