The Wilkins’ Chronicle (A selection of Trove Articles, Incorporating Advertisements and Cartoons from the day of the Wilkins’ Article) never been seen by human eye. The flight will be in the nature of a reconnaissance 1926 for his major scheme, which includes the establishment of meteorological stations 2 January 1926 along the continental edge from which TWO POLAR FLIGHTS wireless weather messages would he sent Captain Wilkins’s Plans to South America, South Africa and Captain Wilkins’s Plans Australia. Captain Wilkins’s hope is that the Captain G. H. Wilkins, who already has governments of these countries would be a very creditable record as an explorer, induced to provide funds for the expects to make two great Polar flights this maintenance of these stations. year. Briefly, his theory is that the weather in The first will be across the North Pole, the southern hemisphere is largely from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Spitsbergen. determined by the weather conditions In this venture Captain Wilkins has prevailing over the Antarctic continent, received the support of Mr Henry Ford and and if regular bulletins could be issued Stefansson, and the flight will be made in a thence to the meteorologists in Melbourne, machine fitted with the new Ford aero Cape Town and Buenos Aires, weather engine. forecasts could be both lengthened and Captain Wilkins is not the only aspirant improved. for Polar honours. Three other explorers These theories do not commend An advertisement on the page from the (Morning have announced their intention to fly to the themselves to the meteorologists, who Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld), Monday 4 January 1926, Pole this season. maintain that the world’s weather has its page 7.). Nansen, doyen of Polar explorers, is origin about the Equator, and, secondly, 4 January 1926 preparing to make the flight in a German that if any funds are available for machine. Amundsen has announced his AMUNDSEN’S DASH. meteorological research, there is ample A THRILLING STORY intention to again attempt to reach the Pole scope for their employment within the by airship. Captain E. R. G. R. Evans, the comrade countries concerned. of Scott, introduced the great Norwegian There is also a French expedition being The projected route of Captain Wilkins’s explorer, Captain Amundsen, to a London prepared under the auspices of the Ministry proposed flight around the Antarctic of Marine, and consequently there is every audience recently. These two explorers continent is shown on the attached map. were rather an interesting contrast. prospect this year of an exciting race to the Herald (Melbourne, Vic.), Saturday 2 Pole. Captain Evans, who is 41 years of age, Most of the flights will be begun in late January 1926, page 5. looks not much more than 25; Captain May or early June, this being the most https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2 Amundsen, who is 53, looks well over 60. favourable season from an atmospheric and 43887966 Not that Captain Amundsen is not climatic point of view. Already there is physically fit, but his short, chopped hair is 4 January 1926 speculation as to which explorer will be white, and his face is heavily wrinkled. He Polar Flight first “off the mark.” speaks fairly good English in a deep and Captain Wilkins has slated that his Captain Wilkins Lionised rather gruff voice, but his choice of projected Antarctic flight would be Australian Press Association. language and descriptive powers are proceeded with after his flight across the NEW YORK. January 2. remarkable, writes the London North Pole. This expedition is scheduled to Australian Press Association. correspondent of the N.Z. Herald. leave New Zealand in one of the whaling NEW YORK. January 2. The occasion was a lecture giving a depot ships in October next, and he has Captain G. H. Wilkins, the well-known description of the Polar flight recently announced that he will use the same Ford Australian explorer, was lionised by undertaken by Captain Amundsen and his machine in the Antarctic in which he hopes scientific men at a dinner by the Detroit Norwegian companions, and showing a to fly across the North Pole. Aviation Society, preliminary to his number of interesting lantern slides departure on a trans-Polar flight. produced from photographs taken during The speakers declared that Captain the expedition. Wilkins probably would discover new land Captain Evans, as chairman, described for the United States. Dr. I. Bowman, the lecturer as the most remarkable and director of the American Geographical most distinguished Arctic and Antarctic Society, said that Captain Wilkins was not explorer of the day. He was a worthy only an experienced aviator, but a gallant descendant of the Vikings, one of whom officer. landed on the American coast more than Captain Wilkins, speaking of the 500 years before Columbus sighted it. It proposed Arctic venture, reiterated his was Amundsen who first sailed the North- belief that he would secure valuable data, West Passage in a 47-ton sloop. He was useful for an Antarctic venture. He one of the crew of the first ship ever to emphasised the economic importance to winter in the Antarctic pack ice, and he Photo from the Alaska group from the ISO Polar the world of knowledge of what both Polar Archives. first reached the South Pole just one month Regions could offer in the way of before Captain Scott. His last exploit by ORIGIN OF OUR WEATHER development. aeroplane was a chapter from the life of a It should be clearly understood, however, Moreover, the coming venture in the 20th century Viking. that Captain Wilkins has no intention of Arctic and Antarctic regions would give The lecturer described the beginning of flying across or anywhere near the South extensive opportunity to gather the flight on May 21, and the flight of the Pole. What he does propose is to fly along meteorological data by which the seasons two machines over the pack ice. He the edge of the Antarctic continent from may be forecast. This was one of the referred to the announcement on May 22 of the Ross Sea to Graham Land, situated principal reasons for undertaking the the mechanic in the aeroplane in which he south of South America, where he hopes to flights. was travelling, N25, that half of the petrol be picked up by whalers which are Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld) Monday 4 supply had been used, and said that shortly engaged there at that season of the year. January 1926, page 8. afterwards the rear engine misfired, with Much of the coastline over which he https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1 the result that a landing became hopes to fly is quite unknown, and has 77840978 imperative. 1 The Wilkins’ Chronicle (A selection of Trove Articles, Incorporating Advertisements and Cartoons from the day of the Wilkins’ Article) to cross several chasms in the ice. It 8 January 1926 cleared them, and just before the track was FLIGHT OVER POLE covered the plane left the ice free. NEW YORK, December 30. Many people were asking, said Captain In an interview with a representative of Amundsen, “What was the result of the the Australian Press Association, Captain expedition?” His reply, briefly, was, “Two G. H. Wilkins, who is to lead the projected hundred thousand square kilometres of Polar flight, stated that his association with new territory.” the Detroit Arctic Expedition did not mean Alluding to the future, Captain that he had abandoned his Antarctic plans Amundsen expressed his conviction that at for an Australasian Polar-Pacific the present time aeroplanes could not be expedition, leaving New Zealand about used for Polar work. Aeroplanes must October, 1926. always be prepared for landing, and He expects that his Arctic work will be landing upon Polar ice was not practicable. completed before then. All the profits he is He believed, however, that in a few years able to save from the Arctic expedition, he aeroplanes would be able successfully to stated, will be used in connection with the undertake the task. Australasian Expedition. The machine he A member of the audience was Captain will use in the Arctic flight he will G. H. Wilkins, who has made afterwards use in the Antarctic, expedition, An advertisement on the page from the (Morning Bulletin arrangements with Captain Amundsen to in place of N25, for which he negotiated, (Rockhampton, Qld), Monday 4 January 1926, page 7.). purchase the aeroplane used in the Arctic but which he failed to secure, owing to trip for exploration work in the Antarctic lack of Australian financial support. They were compelled to make for a next year. small channel with walls of pack ice. “We Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, when Captain Amundsen, who lectured in interviewed, stated that the Arctic flight were caught like rats in a trap,” he added. Edinburgh on his Polar flight before an The other aeroplane, N24, had also been would be of great benefit to Captain audience of 3000, was presented by Lord Wilkins’s further work in demonstrating compelled to land, and the Norwegian flag, Salvesen, President of the Royal Scottish waving over a tremendous ice wall about that Polar air conditions were no worse and Geographical Society, with the Livingstone possibly better than elsewhere, and that the four and a half miles away, indicated the gold medal, the highest award of the position of the men of the other machine. Poles were not barren ice-covered wastes. society, in recognition of the explorer’s Explorers long had known of that fact, but Communication was established, and the work on behalf of science. Captain members of the party joined forces in an it was necessary actually to demonstrate Amundsen had a great reception.