Antarctic Contents Foreword by Sir Vivian Fuchs Forthcoming Events Cover Story Scott Base 40 Years Ago by Margaret Bradshaw... Cover: Main: How Scott Base looks International today. Three Attempt a World Record Photo — Courtesy of Antarctica New Zealand Library. Solo-Antarctic Crossing National Programmes New Zealand United States of America France Australia Insert: Scott Base during its South Africa final building stage 1957. Photo — Courtesy of Guy on Warren. Education December 1996, Tourism Volume 1 4, No. 4, Echoes of the Past Issue No.l 59 Memory Moments Relived. ANTARCTIC is published quar terly by the New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., ISSN Historical 01)03-5327, Riddles of the Antarctic Peninsula by D Yelverton. Editor: Shelley Grell Please address all editorial Tributes inquiries and contributions to the Editor, P O Box -104, Sir Robin Irvine Christchurch or Ian Harkess telephone 03 365 0344, facsimile 03 365 4255, e-mail Book Reviews [email protected]. DECEMBER 1996 Antargic Foreword By Sir Vivian Fuchs All the world's Antarcticians will wish to congratulate New Zealand on maintaining Scott Base for the last forty years, and for the valuable scientific work which has been accom plished. First established to receive the Crossing Party of the Commonwealth Trans- Antarctic Expedition 1955-58, it also housed the New Zealand P a r t y w o r k i n g f o r t h e International Geophysical Year. Today the original huts have been replaced by a more modern„. , j . , Sir andEdmund Hillaryextensive and Dr. V E.base; Fuchs join •'forces at. Depot , . , . ., 700, established by the New Zealand party 700 miles south but chancing to arrive there on . •' r J a,., i • .i j ,,m, , of Scott Base. Photo from Antarctic Bulletin No. 9, March 1958. my 86th birthday in 1996,1 was happy to find that one of the S|> VMan and Sir Edmund are both life members huts I knew in the fifties had of the New Zealand Antarctic Society. been preserved as a museum. I know that Sir Edmund Hillary, the first leader at Scott Base, will join in recognising the sense of pride which all New Zealanders can feel about their nation's Antarctic work — long may it continue Forthcoming Events Scott Base 40th Anniversary Events, arranged for 20-22 January 1997 — Antarctic New Zealand hosts early 1997 in Christchurch, will include: visit to Scott Base for 40th Anniversary. Guests to include the Prime Minister and Sir Edmund Hillary. Business function at Antarctic Visitor Centre (A TVNZ crew will be making a documentary about (Chamber of Commerce) Sir Edmund's life). Antarctic fancy dress ball for public (Visitor Centre). April 1997 Opening of the Antarctic Heritage Trail (Antarctic Antarctic Heritage Trust 10th Anniversary Heritage Trust/ Christchurch City Council) Opening of Photographic Exhibition outlining Historic display and book on Scott Base New Zealand's involvement in TAE/IGY. (Antarctic Society) Organised by New Zealand Antarctic Society- Children's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Launch of "Scott Base — New Zealand's Frozen Meeting (ICAIR/Learnz) Frontier", Outlining the history of Scott Base. Art Auction (Antarctic Heritage Trust) Written by David Harrowfield for the New Book Launch (Warren Herrick) Zealand Antarctic Society. Antarctic Gateways Sister Cities Conference (Christchurch City Council) 16-18 April 1997 — "Antarctic Science Beyond 2000". Working Group Coordinator — Clive Pearson, MEAT New Zealand Antarctic Science Strategy Workshop 20-22 January 1997 — TAE/IGY reunion in 19 April 1997 — Scott Base Grand Reunion Dinner. Christchurch in celebration of Scott Base 40th Organiser — Jim McGregor, New Zealand Antarctic Anniversary. Organiser — John Claydon Society DECEMBER 1996 Antarctic cover story 40 Years Ago — The Establishment of Scott Base By Margaret Bradshaw preliminary Antarctic experience was For over 30 years following New gained by some members of the New Zealand's acceptance of responsibility for Zealand team. Trevor Hatherton, the Ross Dependency from Britain in geophysicist and leader of the five man 1923, the government showed little IGY team who would share the base with interest in mounting its own national the TAE party, together with Lt programme. Commander Bill Smith (Royal NZ Navy) In the early 1950's, the second and geologist Bernie Gunn, went south International Geophysical Year (IGY) was with US Deep Freeze 1 to select a site for being planned, and an idea was sparked the New Zealand base in McMurdo by a British Antarctic scientist, Dr Vivian Sound, a site that would allow access onto Fuchs, for a Commonwealth Trans- the Polar Plateau, as well as be easily Antarctic crossing similar to that first approached by shipping. Following the attempted by Shackleton in 1914. route pioneered by Scott's 1902 party, and Early in 1955, New Zealand finally with no prior experience of polar travel, committed itself to provide an Antarctic the three New Zealanders hauled up the base from which scientific measurements Ferrar and upper Taylor Glaciers and could be made over the IGY period, and climbed Beehive Mountain. Valuable which would also be the terminal point lessons were learned over the 320 kilome for a Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE). tres covered, not the least being that With Sir Edmund Hillary as leader, stronger crampons were needed for the New Zealand would play a major support hard blue ice, for they had broken eight role by establishing a route on the Ross Sea side for the crossing party and laying •-- depots for them. The Ross Sea Committee was set up to organise New Zealand's involve ment, and 32 men were nj selected from 665 appli- r r=uipij.wj.|i|fl cants. Two other New Zealanders, George Lowe and Brian Flaslop, were i invited by the British to f join the crossing party. Thellie Endea; Endeavour leaving Bluff11.30pm, 21 December 1956, During the southern wftnwith wuwinter and summer staff suitably dressed for the summer of 1955-56, preceding Civic Farewell Banquet. DECEMBER 1996 Antarctic sets on the journey. A base site was ence. The ship became trapped in the ice selected near Butter Point. for a frustrating three weeks. When a During the same summer, Ed Hillary, small pool opened, John Claydon made a his deputy Bob Miller and Squadron difficult take-off in the float-equipped Leader John Claydon, travelled south to Auster and successfully searched for a the Weddell Sea with Vivian Fuchs lead into open water. Once the proposed aboard the Theron, a Canadian arctic base site was selected and unloading sealer chartered by the TAE. Their objec began, the ship was torn from its moor tive was to establish Shackleton Base as ings in a sudden blizzard and blown the starting point for the following year's away from the ice edge, leaving five crossing. Gordon Haslop and George people, one of them Bob Miller, stranded Lowe were also on board. The plan was to with minimal shelter and little food. The leave an advance party of eight men who men had to wait 24 anxious hours before would erect a prefab hut and live in it the Theron was able to return to take them over the winter. Five tracked vehicles, 20 back on board. huskies with their kennels and a large On the other side of the continent, quantity of stores were also left. mountain guide Harry Ayres was The notoriously unpredictable attached to the Australian programme Weddell Sea ice provided the New for the relief of Mawson Base, and also Zealand party with some valuable experi- visited the Russian Mirny Base. When he returned to New Zealand, Ayres brought Scott Base personnel — with him 26 sledge dogs that had been tae/igy team wintering over bred at Mawson and generously Sir Edmund Hillary, Leader. presented to the New Zealand team. (Bob) Holmes Miller, Deputy Leader, Stores. It was now time to raise funds, plan George Marsh, Medical officer, Dog handler. logistics and train the team. A great deal Harry Ayres, Ice expert, Dog handler. more money was required than the Murray Ellis, Engineer Officer. Bernie Gunn, Geologist, Photographer. £50,000 granted by the government, and Richard Brooke, Dog handler, Surveyor. the nation rallied round with all manner Roy Carlyon, Surveyor, Navigator. of fund raising ideas, ranging from selling Murray Douglas, Mountaineer, Dog handler. guinea pigs and tadpoles to giving very Guyon Warren, Geologist. well attended lectures. Ron Balham, Meteorologist, Biologist. Jim Bates, Mechanic. Many firms gave help in kind. BPNew Ernest Bucknell, Cook. Zealand donated all the oil, petrol and Trevor Hatherton, Leader IGY science party. lubricants the party would need, while Peter Macdonald, Geophysicist. Massey-Ferguson gave five Ferguson Vern Gerrard, Geophysicist. farm tractors, three of which reached the "Herbie" Orr, Geophysical Technician. Neil Sandford, Mechanician. pole. The government purchased an John Claydon, Commanding Officer RNZAF. Auster aircraft and the Falkland Island Bill Cranfield, Pilot. ship John Biscoe, which was renamed Wally Tarr, Engineer. Endeavour. Personnel were seconded from Peter Mulgrew, Senior Radio Operator. the Navy, Army and Air Force to support John Gawn, Radio Operator. the expedition. 124 DECEMBER 1996 Antarctic In May 1956, the RNZAF Antarctic Summer Staff Flight was formed at Wigram, with Derek Wright, Cine-cameraman. Squadron Leader John Claydon and Peter Tate, RNZ Antarctic Flight. Flying Officer Bill Canfield as pilots, and Arthur Helm, Administration & postal. Sergeant Wally Tarr as engine fitter. A Geoffrey Martin, Journalist. second plane, a Beaver, was provided by Ron Barwick, Biologist, artist. Arnold Heine, Toolmaker, Mountaineer. the Ross Sea Committee and aptly named J. Findlay, Medical Officer. City of Auckland as most of the purchase Jim Hoffman, Explosives & drilling. money had been raised in Auckland. Randal Heke, Foreman building team. The Mawson dogs, now totalling 34 in Ron Mitchell, Architectural Assistant.