THE PUBLICATION OF THE NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY Vol 33, No. 3, 2015 33, No. Vol RRP $15.95 03 The National Antarctic 9 770003 532006 Programme of Japan Vol 33, No. 3, 2015 Issue 233 Contents www.antarctic.org.nz is published quarterly by the New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc. ISSN 0003-5327 The New Zealand Antarctic Society is a Registered Charity CC27118 EDITOR: Lester Chaplow ASSISTANT EDITOR: Janet Bray New Zealand Antarctic Society PO Box 404, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand Email: [email protected] INDEXER: Mike Wing The deadlines for submissions to future issues are 1 November, 1 February, 1 May and 1 August. Patron of the New Zealand Antarctic Society: Professor Peter Barrett, 2008 NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY LIFE MEMBERS The Society recognises with life membership, those people who excel in furthering the aims and objectives of the Society or who have given outstanding service in Antarctica. They are 30 elected by vote at the Annual General Meeting and are restricted to 15 life members at any time. Current Life Members by the year elected: News 25, 35 1. Jim Lowery (Wellington), 1982 2. Robin Ormerod (Wellington), 1996 The Final Tragedy: Remembering Hilda Evans 26 3. Baden Norris (Canterbury), 2003 4. Bill Cranfield (Canterbury), 2003 5. Randal Heke (Wellington), 2003 Antarctic Mythbusting 29 6. Bill Hopper (Wellington), 2004 7. Arnold Heine (Wellington), 2006 Exploring the Work of Antarctic Treaty National 8. Margaret Bradshaw (Canterbury), 2006 Antarctic Programmes: Japan 30 9. Ray Dibble (Wellington), 2008 10. Norman Hardie (Canterbury), 2008 11. Colin Monteath (Canterbury), 2014 Painting Below Zero 32 12. John Parsloe (Canterbury), 2014 ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY: The Spoken Word: The Antarctic Society’s Oral History Project 34 National President: Mariska Wouters South Island Vice-President: Margaret Bradshaw ADAM – The Antarctic Digital Asset Manager 35 North Island Vice-President: Linda Kestle National Secretary: Myra Walton Book Review – Frank Worsley, Shackleton’s Fearless Captain 36 National Treasurer: Lester Chaplow Immediate Past-President: Jud Fretter Seeking Expressions of Interest: BRANCH CHAIRS: Voluntary Work in Antarctica – Auckland: Linda Kestle Canterbury: Ursula Rack Exterior Painting / General Maintenance Back cover Wellington: Daniil Ivshin Cover photo: Meteorite found 28 January 2013 by 54th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-54). It turned out to be the biggest found during that expedition. Photo © NIPR. Photo above: Syowa Station. Photo © NIPR. Back cover: Scott Base Antarctica. © Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection. Issue 233 NEWS From the President his is a busy time of the Antarctica New Zealand. You will this work. We are also planning Tyear for national Antarctic find application information on some national events for 2016. programmes as well as the the back cover of this issue and Our Branches continue to offer Antarctic Society. we look forward to receiving your regular regional public meetings. The beginning of the busy application by 18 September. We welcome new faces at these summer season of Antarctic science The Society’s National events and offers of help for is near. We wish the operational Council has also been active Branch committees. staff and science teams around behind the scenes. We are We look forward to seeing the Antarctic continent a most looking at ways to improve our you at the Branch AGMs held successful season! We also welcome services to our members. We are in Auckland, Christchurch and their contributions to Antarctic to expecting to introduce an online Wellington late September – early keep our readers up-to-date with store before the end of the year. October. The Antarctic Society’s the range of science activity. Next year we hope to review AGM will be in Christchurch on We are again delighted our website’s functionality. We Saturday 17 October. Check out to continue the Scott Base are refreshing our oral history our website for events and AGM volunteer programme for Society programme and always welcome dates www.antarctic.org.nz. members introduced late 2009 by financial contribution to assist Mariska Wouters From the Editor Branch News o you know who Hilda History Programme, which is Wellington D Beatrice Russell was? explored in more detail with ellington branch In The Final Tragedy: an outline of some of the early Wheld their annual Remembering Hilda Evans, oral histories. midwinter event on 18 June. we learn a little about Antarctica New Zealand It was well attended by NZAS this forgotten woman, her brief introduce us to ADAM – the members, representatives of life, her marriage and connection Antarctic Digital Asset Manager the diplomatic community, to Antarctic history, her tragic – and our book review looks and guests from organisations death, and her lasting memorial. at John Thomson’s revision of associated with Antarctica. This issue of Antarctic is an his Frank Worsley biography: Mariska Wouters acted as interesting mix: continuing some Shackleton’s Fearless Captain, MC. Bella Duncan delivered themes from previous issues, and includes a giveaway offer to the Loyal Toast. We dialled we continue our look at the work financial members. up the team at Scott Base, and of Antarctic Treaty National Sadly, the Society has lost Tony Taylor presented a short Antarctic Programmes with a another Life Member with the talk and the toast to Present look at the National Antarctic passing recently of Malcolm Parties. The folks down at Programme of Japan, and do Laird. His obituary will appear Scott Base were having their some Antarctic Mythbusting. in a future issue. An obituary midwinter dinner with the We have another article from for David Geddes, a former American team and they jointly a previous member of our head of the New Zealand presented the toast to Past Volunteer Programme discussing Antarctic Programme appears Parties. Ambassador Torres of the specifics of Painting Below on the Society’s website at the Chilean Embassy led the Zero, and The Spoken Word www.antarctic.org.nz/pages/ other diplomatic representatives looks again at the Society’s Oral history/obituaries.php. in a toast to the Treaty Nations. Vol 33, No. 3, 2015 25 PEOPLE The Final Tragedy: Remembering Hilda Evans By Bill Conroy The deaths of Captain Robert Scott and his companions in the blizzards and misery of the Antarctic wastes were not the last of those associated with the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910–12. There was one more life to be forfeited before the Polar expeditioners returned to London. his story begins officer aboard the ship Morning. While based in New Zealand, early in 1902 when This ship joined Terra Nova as the Morning made two trips to T an ambitious young two support vessels forming part of Antarctica. Prior to heading south on Royal Navy lieutenant, Edward Scott’s first foray into Antarctica: the second occasion, on 24 October Ratcliffe Garth Russell Evans the Discovery Expedition. Morning 1903, Teddy Evans announced his (known as Teddy Evans; later sailed from London in July 1902 engagement to a Christchurch girl, Baron Mountevans,) was seconded and reached Lyttelton on 16 Hilda Beatrice Russell, daughter from the Royal Navy to be second November 1902. of T.G. Russell, a prominent Captain Scott RN and Mrs Scott (LHS), The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Cardiff (centre), Lieutenant Evans RN and Mrs Hilda Evans (RHS). Photo courtesy of Dundee Heritage Trust. 26 Issue 233 TRIBUTEPEOPLE local solicitor. Teddy returned to Christchurch on 1 April 1904, and on 13 April the couple were married in a fashionable naval wedding at St Barnabas Church in Christchurch. The reception was held at Quamby, the home of the bride’s parents in the suburb of Fendalton, and the cake was cut with a naval sword. The presents included a handsome silver casket from the officers of the Discovery, Morning and Terra Nova. The bride was 20 years old and the groom 23. By the middle of August 1904 Hilda was in London, and she was Wives and husbands: Capt. Edward Evans and Mrs Evans (left) and Dr Edward and Mrs Wilson, joined by her husband in October © Otago Heritage Books, copyright permission sought. when the Morning reached her between the wives to jealousy. 26 November 1910. In October 1911 home port. In recognition of his He regarded Hilda Evans “as a Terra Nova returned to New Zealand service in Antarctica, Teddy Evans womanly woman of remarkable and, after a refit, sailed for Antarctica was awarded the silver Polar Medal, beauty and general charm who was again on 15 December 1911. and he resumed his naval career. everything that a wife should be” When the expedition got Hilda occupied herself by getting (p. 130). Apparently Bowers had underway in the Antarctic things did acquainted with her husband’s a different view of the worldly and not go well with Teddy Evans. Early family and becoming involved in somewhat aggressive Kathleen Scott. in December 1911 he went down London society. Captain Lawrence Oates, in with scurvy and when the relief ship In 1909 Evans was appointed a letter home, described a major arrived at the expedition base in second-in-command of Scott’s clash between the women in January 1912 he was sent home to second expedition to Antarctica New Zealand shortly before the England, by way of New Zealand, (the Terra Nova Expedition, 1910– expedition headed south: where he spent close to twelve months 1913) and also captain of the Terra Mrs Scott and Mrs Evans have to regain full health. Evans returned Nova. Despite the need for a close had a magnificent battle! They tell to Antarctica in January 1913 and, working relationship between me it was a draw after 15 rounds. as a result of the death of Scott, took the two men, Scott seemingly did There was more blood and hair command of the Polar expedition and not fully trust his deputy, and the flying than you would see in a set about preparing for its return to situation was exacerbated by the Chicago slaughter-house in a month.