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Home , George Ainsworth, John Hamilton Blair, SY Aurora

Mawson’s Huts Foundation 28 NOV 2013

Philatelic items produced to commemorate:

THE CENTENARY OF THE AUSTRALASIAN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1911-14

S.Y. Aurora and Macquarie Island. Stage V: Part I Outward Bound Painting by Charles Turnbull , leader of AAE Harrisson (by permission of party on Macquarie Island Geoffrey Harrisson) (By permission AAD, C of A)

The third Antarctic voyage of S.Y. Aurora in 1913 from to Macquarie Island and on to , Commonwealth Bay

S.Y. Aurora, Hobart 1913 Captain J K Davis (By permission of Jonothan Davis) (By permission of Mitchell Library, SLNSW)

The Third Antarctic Voyage of the S.Y. Aurora

Part I: Outward Bound – Hobart to Cape Denison

Introduction: On 15th March 1913 the S.Y. Aurora returned to Hobart from its Second Antarctic Voyage. In doing so the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) should have come to an end. No one could have foreseen the tragic accidents and the narrow margins of adverse luck that had resulted in Mawson and the six members of the relief party being obliged to spend a second winter in (Davis, 1962). Davis continues “Now, as there were insufficient funds to finance a third voyage to Commonwealth Bay, our committee (AAE) decided that the Aurora would be laid up during the coming winter and that I (Davis) should proceed to England in order to explain our position to our supporters and endeavour to raise additional finance. It was not by any means a welcome task, but as Second-in-Command of the expedition I had no alternative but to attempt it.” The S.Y. Aurora was laid up in Cornelian Bay, just up river from Hobart, on anchor with a watchman on board. In Chapter 26 of his book ‘Aurora, and the AAE 1911-1914’ Beau Riffenburgh provides a comprehensive account of the events leading up to and including the Third Antarctic Voyage of the S.Y. Aurora. Highlights from this account will be presented here: Davis arrived in England in mid-May 1913 and was greatly assisted by Hugh Robert Mill (Shackleton’s biographer and former librarian of the Royal Geographic Society, RGS). ‘The Mawson Relief Fund 1913’ was opened with a donation of £1,000 from Sir Robert Lucas Tooth (Tooth’s Brewery), an Australian living in England. Donations were also received from the Royal Society and the RGS, as well as Teddy Evans, Kathleen Scott and several members of the Scott Expedition. , who had returned from Australia, gave a number of lectures for the relief fund. Davis’s most significant achievement while in England was an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, which was organized by Sir George Reid, the High Commissioner for Australia in London. As a result of this meeting the Relief Fund received a grant of £1000 from the British Government. Having raised £2800 for the Relief Fund, Davis returned to Australia in August 1913, where he found that as a result of appeals for funds by Professor David, generous donations had been made by Australians, including £500 from Hugh Dixon and a similar amount from the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. With the precedent of having been supported by the British Government, a deputation visited the Australian Prime Minister, Joseph Cook, who agreed that Dr Mawson’s safe return was an Australian responsibility. Within 48 hours, a grant of £5000 had been promised by the Commonwealth for the relief expedition, which was now in a position to move ahead. Preparations for the voyage: On 10th September 1913, with a skeleton crew, S.Y. Aurora sailed for the Alfred Graving Dock at Williamstown, where the Victorian Government had agreed to refit the ship (see photographs below). In the next two months, repairs were made, a new tail-shaft was fitted, new anchors attached, stores loaded and a crew signed on. Among the officers were Gray, de la Motte and a new chief officer, , who had served in sailing ships of the Loch Line. Prior to leaving Williamstown on 11th November 1913, they were visited by the Governor-General, Lord Denman, who inspected the ship and wished them God-speed. One of the most valuable men while S.Y. Aurora was in port was Charles Harrisson (originally a member of Wilds’s western party), who Davis appointed as secretary to look after administrative, purchasing, and supplies issues. He was also invited to go on the relief voyage but declined because he had been appointed as biologist with the Commonwealth Fisheries. He was onboard the 300 ton fisheries search vessel Endeavour when tragically it disappeared two days after leaving Macquarie Island on 3rd . It is believed it may have struck a then unchartered rock or was caught in a giant gale recorded at that time. Harrisson was onboard with 20 others.

Picture at left: S.Y. Aurora in the Alfred Graving Dock at Williamstown, Victoria. (Photographer unknown. Image by permission of the Australian Antarctic Division, C of A.)

Picture at right: Stern of the S.Y. Aurora in the Alfred Graving Dock at Williamstown, Victoria. (Photograph by . Image by permission of the Australian Antarctic Division, C of A.)

Three men, who had returned from the Main Base earlier in 1913, did sail on the relief voyage. They were Correll, Hunter and Hurley. John Hunter wanted to extend his previous biological studies, particularly as he would be involved with the dredging that Davis planned on the way . Percy Correll, who was originally engaged as a mechanic and physicist at the Main Base, had developed an interest in colour photography, which he wanted to test on his second voyage south. He went as a self-funded volunteer and did not want any salary. ’s original film, ‘With Mawson in the South’, proved to be a disappointment because of its washed out appearance, so he was anxious to return to Antarctica to obtain better footage with Lumiere film as opposed to the original Eastman negative film. By arrangement with H. A. Hunt, the Commonwealth Meteorologist, a government team of three was going to take over and man the for a year. They were Harold Power (Meteorologist), F.J. Henderson (Wireless Operator) and J. Ferguson (Handyman).

Departure: After a 5-day voyage from Williamstown, during which she braved a severe gale, the S.Y. Aurora returned to Hobart on 17th November 1913. There followed a frantic two days of loading stores, and at 10.30 am on 19th November 1913 the S.Y. Aurora departed Queen’s Pier, Hobart and set sail for Macquarie Island.

Cover No. 1 was affixed with the 2013 AAT The Third Antarctic Voyage Centenary of the AAE se-tenant pair of $1.20 of the S.Y. Aurora. stamps, issued in Australia on 10th September 2013. Centenary of the departure from Hobart at They were cancelled at Kingston PO with the 10.30 am on 19 November 1913 bound for Macquarie Island and Cape Denison to retrieve everyday pictorial postmark on 19 NOV 2013, Douglas Mawson and other members of the AAE. because the Hobart GPO did not have a suitable pictorial postmark. The photograph of the S.Y. Aurora was taken on either the 18th or 19th November 1913 and not in 1914 as indicated in the white print at the bottom of the picture. This reads: “AURORA” AT HOBART. BOUND FOR ANTARTIC.

1914 W.J. LITTLE PHOTO. The photographer, W.J. Image of S.Y. Aurora, scanned from a Glassplate negative of Little, was a postcard publisher in Hobart. The W. J. Little photograph held in S.Y. Aurora is moored at the Queen’s Pier, Hobart, the Jonothan Davis Collection, Hobart, Tasmania . and the code flag “P” (Blue Peter), flying at the top of No. 1 the foremast, indicates that the ship is about to leave. Cover No. 1

Cover No. 2 was affixed with the 2013 AAT The Third Antarctic Voyage Centenary of the AAE se-tenant strip of three 60¢ of the SY Aurora. th The SY Aurora departed from Hobart at stamps issued on 10 September 2013. They 10.30 am on 19 November 1913 bound for were cancelled at Kingston PO with the everyday Macquarie Island and Cape Denison. pictorial postmark on 19 NOV 2013. The cover is illustrated with pictures of Captain John King Davis At left: Captain John King Davis, 2nd-in-Command of the AAE (Second-in-Command of the AAE), and the three (Image by permission of Mitchell Library members of the original Cape Denison Party who State Library of NSW) returned to Antarctica on this voyage. As well as Captain Davis and the rest of the crew, also on board were three members of the AAE , who were returning to Antarctica. They were: No. 31 At left: John G Hunter (Biologist)

At right: Percy E Correll At right: Frank Hurley (Mechanic, physicist & (Official photographer) photographer) (Image by permission of Australian Antarctic (Images by permission of Division, Cof A) Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW) Cachet on reverse of Covers 1 & 2. Cover No. 2

The voyage to Macquarie Island: The S.Y. Aurora sailed due south from Hobart until it reached the latitude of Macquarie Island, and then turned east towards the island. The weather was kind enough to allow the ‘sounding party’ to take a series of soundings, water samples and temperature measurements. Thus Captain Davis added further data about the depth and extent of the ‘Aurora’ ridge and was able to define its Southern limit. The S.Y. Aurora arrived at Hasselborough Bay, at the Northern end of Macquarie Island, on 28th November 1913. As it was late in the day and as all hands would be wanted at 6 a.m. the next day, Captain Davis decided not to send a boat ashore. However, a message was signalled to the shore party by Morse lamp, and this had the anticipated result of bringing them off in their own boat. They reported all well at the Shack and provided the latest wireless news as well as reporting that the Rachel Cohen had departed for Hobart with a cargo of oil only a few hours earlier. Next morning, the government meteorology party and most of the stores were disembarked, along with 17 sheep that were heading towards Cape Denison but that Davis wanted ‘to land at Macquarie while we are there, to fatten them up a bit; there is excellent grass there.’ The conditions then deteriorated putting a halt to further movement between ship and shore. For the next week, Davis took every opportunity to complete unloading the stores and getting the specimens and samples from the AAE party on board. On the 2nd December 1913 Davis sent the following Wireless message to Mr Hunt, the Commonwealth meteorologist:- “All stores for Commonwealth Party safely landed today. Excellent passage from Hobart. Your forecast correct, many thanks. Wishing you all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year” (Crossley, 1997). Davis continues “All gear has been shipped now from this end of the Island and we have only a few cases to ship in Lusitania Bay, which I hope to do tomorrow if the south-easterly swell has moderated on that side (East) of the island.” On the following day a dense mist obscured the land until 9.30 a.m., when it cleared sufficiently to get under way (Crossley, 1997; Davis, 2007). We then ran a line of soundings out of Hasselborough Bay and down the western side of the island at hourly intervals. There was little previous information for this side of the island as it was considered a dangerous lee-shore. After rounding the southern end of the island we brought up in Lusitania Bay in 14 fathoms at 7 p.m. A thick mist and a heavy surf prevented us from sending in a boat until 4.30 p.m. the next day, when, in two trips we managed to retrieve all the specimens that the AAE party had collected (12 casks and a few cases). On the 5th December 1913 at 6.15 a.m. we hove anchor and left Lusitania Bay and steamed up the East side of the island against a strong Northerly wind. We dropped anchor at 12.40 p.m. in North East Bay and I went ashore to retrieve messages from the Wireless Station. With the Macquarie Island party, their supplies and the sheep on board we left the anchorage at 3.45 p.m. and proceeded around Ellliots Reef, which is to the North of the island, to obtain some more soundings (about 30 on very uneven ground). We then set sail for Commonwealth Bay. Throughout the time at Macquarie Island, Correll and Hurley were ashore, increasing the photographic and cinematographic record of the island (Riffenburgh, 2011). Correll’s efforts were on the cutting edge, as he used the new Paget colour process, which had certain advantages over the more established autochrome system Hurley had used previously. So successful were Correll’s efforts that Mawson used about 20 colour plates in Volumes I & II of the first edition of his book “The Home of the Blizzard” (Mawson, 1915). Examples of Correll’s Paget colour photographs from Macquarie island illustrated in Volume II are as follows: 1. Volume II, facing page 166, upper colour plate. 2. Volume II, facing page 166, lower colour plate. 3. Volume II, facing page 254, upper colour plate. 1. Tussock slopes and misty Highlands - Macquarie Island

2. The Shack and its Vicinity - Macquarie Island 3. A Victoria (Rockhopper) Penguin on the Nest - Macquarie Island

Covers No. 3 & 4 were affixed with the 2012 AAT Centenary of the AAE se-tenant pairs of $1.20 and se-tenant strips of three 60¢ stamps issued in Australia on 4th September 2012. They were cancelled with the everyday pictorial postmark at the Macquarie Island Station Post Office on 28 NOV 2013 by the Postmaster, Greg Bird, who also signed the backs of the covers and applied some of the cachets. No. 1

Cover No. 3 is illustrated with pictures of George At left: George F. Ainsworth, (Leader of Macquarie Is. party & Ainsworth, who was the leader of the AAE party on Meteorologist),. (Image by permission of The Third Antarctic Voyage of the Australian Antarctic Macquarie Island and the Meteorologist; and Charles the S.Y. Aurora. Division, C of A.) At right: Charles A.Sandell Sandell, who was one of two Wireless Operators and Centenary of arrival at Macquarie Is. (Wireless operator, Mechanic). (Image by permission of on 28 November 1913 to retrieve Mitchell Library, a Mechanic. He took over as sole Wireless Operator the 4 members of the AAE. State Library of NSW) when Arthur Sawyer returned to in August 1913 (see Cover 5). Cover No. 3

Cover No. 4 is illustrated with pictures of two other members of the AAE party on Macquarie Island, namely Harold Hamilton (Biologist) and Leslie Blake (Cartographer and Geologist). Harold Hamilton played a major role in helping companion Leslie Blake to survey and map Macquarie Island in great detail. This had never been done before. They were away from the main hut for weeks at a time and were often forced to live off the abundant wildlife. The two developed No. 29 the closest friendship of any of the five on the island At left: Harold Hamilton, and during the second winter when food supplies were (Biologist & Assistant Cartographer), . The Third Antarctic Voyage of desperately low, helped to supplement the party’s At right: Leslie R. Blake the S.Y. Aurora. (Cartographer, Geologist). rations with fish, penguin eggs, birds and sea elephant Centenary of arrival at Macquarie Is. (Images by permission of on 28 November 1913 to retrieve Mitchell Library, meat to sustain the party. Hamilton was diligent in the 4 members of the AAE party. State Library of NSW) collecting and preserving a large collection of flora and Cover No. 4 fauna which were shipped back on the S.Y. Aurora on its final voyage.

Reverse of Cover Nos 3 & 4: The covers were transported to Hobart on board the Aurora Australis (Voyage V2/V3), which completed the summer deployment to Macquarie Island on 15th December 2013 and headed for Casey Station for the annual resupply and refueling. However, this was interrupted when on 25th December 2013 the Aurora Australis went the aid of the MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which had been trapped in heavy ice near the . The passengers from the Akademik Shokalskiy were flown by the Xue Long’s (Snow Dragon) helicopter to the Aurora Australis, which then returned to Casey on 8th January 2014 to complete the resupply, eventually leaving on 13th January and arriving in Hobart on nd 22 January 2014. Reverse of covers

Cover No. 5 was affixed with the 2011 AAT Centenary of the AAE se-tenant strip of five stamps and cancelled with the everyday pictorial postmark at the Macquarie Island Station Post Office on 25 SEP 2012 by the then Postmaster, Dr Mel Van Twest, who also signed the backs of the covers and applied some of the cachets. In addition, the Postmaster brought the covers with her when she returned to Australia on board the Spirit of Enderby, which departed Macquarie Island on 28th December 2012 and arrived in , NZ on 8th January 2013. She subsequently travelled by Air from Dunedin to on 8th January 2013, and hand delivered the covers to me in Melbourne on 21st January 2013.

Cover No. 5

Cover No. 5 was originally offered for sale in the CENTENARY OF THE AAE 1911-14 Stage IV: AAT stamps & minisheets promotion. It is being re- offered here because the fifth member of the Macquarie Island party, Arthur John Sawyer, who was one of the Wireless operators, fell ill earlier in 1913. He returned to New Zealand on board the Royal New Zealand Navy’s cable steamer Tutanekai on 21st August 1913. The ship had been sent by the New Zealand Government to provide the Macquarie Island Party with sufficient supplies until the S.Y. Aurora arrived in November. By returning to New Zealand and not going to Cape Denison on the S.Y. Aurora he did not receive a Silver Polar Medal, which was awarded to the other four members of the Macquarie Island party. Reverse of cover From Macquarie Island to Commonwealth Bay: The voyage to Cape Denison took nine days (5th to 13th December 1913) during which regular soundings were made; they ranged between 1560 – 2420 fathoms for the first five days. Mr Ainsworth kindly volunteered to keep a record of cloud observations. As he is an experienced Meteorologist, his notes will be a valuable addition to those of our Second Officer, Percy Gray, who takes regular observations. In one of his letters, quoted by Riffenburgh (2011), Gray states that ‘Poor old Blake has been very ill with the motion of the ship. He is a very indifferent sailor, but about the gamest seasick man I ever struck, dashes to the side and brings his heart up, then comes back as if nothing was the matter, walks up and down the deck, and talks and laughs, and then dashes to the side again.’ Drift ice was seen on 9th December and the first icebergs were sighted on 10th December. Heavy pack ice was encountered early on 11th December but gave way to loose, rotten, heavy floes by the afternoon and very few icebergs were sighted. Great numbers of Snow Petrels and Antarctic Petrels were observed. Early the following day the pack became a bit closer but progress continued and by noon there was fairly open water. At 8.00 p.m. we were 45 miles off the main base, the weather was fine and the barometer rising. At 3.00 a.m. on 13th December we are approaching the main base and have just made out the Mackellar Islands. At 7.00 a.m. we anchored in Commonwealth Bay in 25 fathoms. High up on a rocky promontory we observed a large cross erected to the memory of Mertz and Ninnis (Crossley, 1997; Davis, 2007).

Overprinted Minisheet No.1 (1-100): Arrival 13 December 1913 - SY Aurora arrives at Cape Denison to retrieve Douglas Mawson & fellow expeditioners. While the Post Office at Cape Denison was open briefly from 19th to 21st December 2013, it was not open on the Centenary of the arrival (13th December 2013) or departure (24th December 2013) of S.Y. Aurora. Thus it was not possible to postmark covers at Cape Denison to commemorate these two events and it was decided to do so with overprinted minisheets. Minisheet No. 1 At Commonwealth Bay: Having anchored in Commonwealth Bay, the whaler was lowered and we pulled ashore. We rounded the point of the boat harbour in silence and moved quickly towards the Hut. Mawson appeared in the doorway, and on seeing us he gave a shout, “Halloa, you chaps, the boat is here.” After a hearty handshake everyone commenced talking, and we realised we were once more a united party. All hands then embarked in the whaler and returned to the ship, where a substantial breakfast had been made ready (Davis, 2007). The S.Y. Aurora was either anchored in, or was in the vicinity of, Commonwealth Bay from 13th to 24th December 1913. On 14th December squally weather delayed the commencement of boat work until 2.00 p.m. The launch was then put over and ran continuously until 8.00 p.m., bringing off cases of specimens and miscellaneous stores, which had been stacked near the landing place ready for embarkation (Davis, 2007). Despite delays caused by occasional gales and squally weather the transfer of items from the hut to the ship was virtually complete by 8.00 p.m. on 17th December. On the following day the crew commenced icing the ship and by 21st December one water tank was full and the other virtually so. The following is abridged from Mawson (1915) Chapter 28. On the afternoon of 18th December Dr Mawson, Hurley, Hodgeman and Hunter were taken to the Mackellar Islands in the motor launch, where they intended to spend two days surveying, photographing and making scientific observations. These islets, over 30 in number, are clustered mainly in a group about two miles off shore. Steaming into a natural harbour, bordered by a low ice-foot on which scores of Weddell seals lay in listless slumber we landed on the largest islet and in Mawson’s own words “The place just teemed with the sporadic life of an Antarctic summer (see Photo No. 1 at right). It was calculated that the Adelie penguins exceeded 150,000 in number over an area of approximately 100 acres. Near the landing place there were at least 60 seals; and Snow petrels, skuas and Wilson petrels soon betrayed their nests to the biologists. The islets are flat, and afford evidence that at one time the continental ice cap has ridden over them. The rock is a hard grey gneiss. A rough plane-table map of the group was made by Hodgeman and myself” (see map on page 257, Vol II, Mawson, 1915). At noon on the 19th December the wind began to freshen and the launch was sent to bring the party back from Mackellar Photo No. 1: Life on the Mackellar Islands Islands. Photograph by Frank Hurley in Mawson (1915), Vol. II f.p.256 rhs Mawson was still anxious to continue local exploration and “For two years we had looked curiously at a patch of ‘black’ rocks protruding beneath the ice-cap eight miles away, within Commonwealth Bay. It had been inaccessible to sledging parties, and so we reserved Cape Hunter, as it was ultimately called, for the coming of the ship. The anchor was raised on the forenoon of the 22nd December and by midday the S.Y. Aurora steamed at half-speed along the ramparts of the glacier, stopping about 4 miles from the Cape. A small party set off in the launch, and as we approached the rocky cliffs penguins began to splash around, Wilson petrels came glancing overhead and we saw great flocks of Antarctic petrels wheeling over cliff and sea. The rocky cliffs, about 80 feet in height at the highest point, were formed of vertically lying slate rocks. Behind the rocks and indenting the ice-cliff was a curving bay into which we steered, finding at its head a beautiful cove fringed with a heavy undermined ice-foot and swarming with Adelie penguins. Overhanging the water was a cavern hollowed out of a bridge of ice thrown from the Photo No. 2 “Hurley had before him a picture in perfect glacier to the western limit of the rock out crop. ‘Hurley had proportion…” (Cape Hunter) before him a picture in perfect proportion’ (see Photo No. 2) Photograph by Frank Hurley in Mawson (1915), Vol. II f.p.260

The steel-blue water paled by an icy reflection, a margin of brown rocks on which the penguins leapt through the splashing surf, a curving canopy of ice-foot, and filling the background, the cavern with pendent icicles along its cornice.

At last we were free to roam and explore. Over the first ridge of rocks we walked suddenly into the home of the Antarctic Photo No. 3 petrels! (see Photo No. 3) There had always been much Antarctic petrels at speculation as to where these birds nested. Jones’ party at nest. Photograph by Frank our western base had the previous summer at Haswell Island Hurley by permission happened upon the first rookery of Antarctic petrels ever of the Mitchell Libray, discovered. Every available nook and crevice was occupied SLNSW along a wide slope which shelved away until it met the vertical cliffs falling to the ocean. They nested in pairs close to their eggs laid on bare rock or among fragments of slate loosely assembled to resemble a nest. In adjoining rookeries the Adelie penguins, with their fat downy chicks, were very plentiful and fiercer than usual. Skuas, Snow and Wilson petrels were all in their accustomed haunts. Down on the low ice-foot at the mouth of a rocky ravine, a few seals had effected a landing. Algae, mosses and lichens made quite a display in moist localities. After so peaceful an afternoon we pushed off reluctantly to the S.Y. Aurora. Those on board had had a busy time dredging, and their results were just as successful as ours. A haul was made in 250 fathoms of ascidians, sponges, crinoids, holothurians, fish and other forms of life in such quantity that Hamilton and Hunter were occupied in sorting the specimens until 5 a.m. the next morning. Later that day (23rd December) the weather started to deteriorate and Madigan and Bickerton sped away in the launch for the final load, which included Ainsworth, Sandell and Correll, the remainder of the dogs and some miscellaneous gear. Upon its return to the ship willing hands soon unloaded the boat and slung it in the davits. Every one was now safe on board. During the night the wind rose and the barometer fell, while the air was filled with drifting snow. On the 24th – Christmas Eve – the velocity of the wind gradually increased to the seventies until at noon it blew with the strength of a hurricane. At this time the anchor was found to be dragging and we commenced to drift before the hurricane. With full steam on we felt our way out, we hoped to the open sea; meanwhile the chain cable and damaged anchor were slowly being hauled in. (To be continued in Part II Homeward Bound)

Overprinted Minisheet No.2 (101-200): Departure 24 December 1913 - SY Aurora departs Cape Denison with Douglas Mawson & fellow expeditioners. The 2013 AAT Centenary of the AAE minisheets were issued in Australia on 10 September 2013. Because the background of about half of the minisheet is very dark it was necessary to use a special gold ink, which was more expensive than the normal black on a light background. However the price will be the same as previous overprinted minisheets.

Minisheet No. 2 References: Crossley, Louise (1997) Trial by Ice – The Antarctic Journals of John King Davis. Published by Bluntisham Books: UK. Davis, John King (1962) High Latitude. Published by Melbourne University Press: Australia. Davis, John King (2007) With the ‘Aurora’ in the Antarctic 1911-1914. Originally published by Andrew Melrose Ltd in 1919; re-published by The Erskine Press: UK. Mawson, Douglas (1915) The Home of the Blizzard – being the Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914, Volume II, Chapters XVII-XXVIII. Published by William Heinemann: London. Riffenburgh, Beau (2011) AURORA - Douglas Mawson and The Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14. Published by The Erskine Press: UK. Acknowledgements: To commemorate events that took place at Hobart and Macquarie Island, we were able to have covers serviced on important dates by Postmasters at Kingston Post Shop (John Edward Reece) and Macquarie Island Post Office (Dr Mel van Twest and Greg Bird). A big thank you is due to these Postmasters who did an excellent job and took the time to apply relevant cachets to the reverse of the covers from Macquarie Island. I am also indebted to Jonothan Davis and the Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston who made available many of the images used as illustrations in this philatelic promotion and on the covers presented herein. In particular is the image of S.Y. Aurora used on page 1 and in Cover No. 1, which came from Jonothan’s own personal collection. A larger version is illustrated below: