One hundred years ago the 1911 - 1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), famously led by Sir Douglas Mawson, spent many cold months exploring the enigmatic and deadly continent of Antarctica.

From June 8, a rare collection of artefacts from the expedition will be on display at the Western Australian – Kalgoorlie-Boulder as part of Traversing Antarctica: the Australian experience, a national travelling exhibition celebrating Australia’s connection with the icy continent.

WA Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder regional manager Zoe Scott said the exhibition creates a landscape for visitors and highlights Australia’s achievements in Antarctica from Mawson to modern day.

“Antarctica is a significant place of cultural, historical and scientific value to Australians,” Ms Scott said.  

“The achievements of Mawson and his team pioneered a new era in Antarctic exploration. What they were able to achieve in such a hostile environment, in a time where technology wasn’t as it is today, is remarkable.”

The AAE was Australia’s first large-scale, overseas scientific investigation after Federation, laying the foundation for the country’s eventual claim to a very large portion of the Antarctic continent and its resources.

Designed to stimulate the imagination of life on the harsh continent, the exhibition features original equipment from early expeditions, such as a man-hauling sled and harness, as well as letters and diaries kept by Mawson and his team.

“In addition to examining Australia’s historical relationship with Antarctica, Traversing Antarctica features scientific contributions in areas such as oceanography and the study of ice as well as highlighting the enormous challenges faced by those living in Antarctica,” Ms Scott said.

Visitors to the exhibition will experience life in the land of ice and blizzards via a live webcam set up at Davis Station and interactive time-lapse photographs of the awe-inspiring Aurora Australis. The exhibition also includes hands-on activities for children.

Traversing Antarctica: the Australian experience was developed by the National Archives of Australia in collaboration with the Australian Antarctic Division and the Western Australian Museum, and is on display at the Western Australian Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder from June 8 to August 11, 2013.

For more information on the exhibition, visit museum.wa.gov.au.

This exhibition is supported by Visions of Australia, an Australian Government program supporting touring exhibitions by providing funding assistance for the development and touring of Australian cultural material across Australia.

 

Media contact:
Niki Comparti
Western Australian Museum
65527805, Niki.Comparti@museum.wa.gov.au