Name______Date______Class______

Making comparisons: The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

Outcomes: ENS 3.6 Explains how various beliefs and practices influence the ways in which people interact with, change and value their environment.

Working towards Consolidating Achieved

Read the account of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition and answer the questions below. Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition took place between 1955 and 1958 and was the first successful overland crossing of Antarctica. The expedition was funded by the governments of the UK, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa and coincided with the International Geophysical Year (1957-58). British explorer Dr Vivian Fuchs led the expedition while New Zealand’s Sir Edmund Hillary led a support team. Fuchs sailed to the Antarctic in the summer of 1955 and established a base near Vahsel Bay on the Weddell Sea. In early 1957, Hillary established Scott Base on Ross Island. Hillary’s team was also responsible for building supply stations between the Scott Base and the South Pole.

In November 1957, Fuchs embarked on his expedition from Shackleton Base with a team of 12 men and headed south. They travelled on snow cats and tractors that had been specially adapted to travel through the snow and ice. Fuchs’s party reached the South Pole on 18 January 1958 and was met by Hillary and his team. Fuchs and Hillary then headed north with their teams and reached Scott Base on 2 March, having successfully completed the first overland trip of Antarctica.

Both Fuchs’s and Hillary’s overland parties carried supplies with them but also had the support of light Shackleton Base aircraft carrying emergency supplies. The aircraft were also used to help plan the route ahead. Dogs also travelled with the parties in case the snow cats or South Pole tractors broke down. Both teams used radios to keep in touch the US Navy, who were stationed in McMurdo Sound. The Navy kept the teams informed of weather Scott Base forecasts and let each team know about the other team’s progress and location. Name______Date______Class______

1. Compare the account of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition with Shackleton’s expedition in 1908 and 1914. List three key differences between the Commonwealth expedition and Shackleton’s expeditions.

i.______

ii.______

iii.______

2. Which expedition would you like to have been a part of ? ______

3. Explain your answer. ______