Inspector-General
An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general".
Australia
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory of ...
Belgrave Ninnis (1 September 1837 – 18 June 1922) was a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
surgeon, surveyor, Arctic explorer, and leading
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, from London. He graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
in 1861, and the same year entered the navy as an Assistant Surgeon. From 1864 to 1866, Ninnis served as part of a surveying expedition to the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
of South Australia, helping to chart the area to the west of the
Adelaide River
The Adelaide River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Course and features
The river rises in the Litchfield National Park and flows generally northwards to Clarence Strait, joined by eight tributaries including the west branch ...
and returning biological specimens to
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
for study. In 1867 Ninnis was appointed to
Greenwich Hospital (later the
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equiv ...
), and in 1875 he joined the
British Arctic Expedition
The British Arctic Expedition of 1875–1876, led by Sir George Strong Nares, was sent by the British Admiralty to attempt to reach the North Pole via Smith Sound.
Although the expedition failed to reach the North Pole, the coasts of Greenland ...
under Captain Sir
George Nares
Vice-Admiral Sir George Strong Nares (24 April 1831 – 15 January 1915) was a Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. He commanded the ''Challenger'' Expedition, and the British Arctic Expedition. He was highly thought of as a leader an ...
, serving as Staff-Surgeon on
HMS ''Discovery''. When disease spread among the expedition's dogs, Ninnis was charged with investigating the cause; his findings later formed the basis of a published work. At the conclusion of the expedition in 1876 he received the
Arctic Medal for his service, and was promoted to Fleet-Surgeon.
In his later career Ninnis served both on ships and in hospitals. He received Sir Gilbert Blane's gold medal in 1879, was promoted to Deputy Inspector-General in 1883, was appointed Principal Medical Officer at Melville Naval Hospital in 1892, and was selected as a Knight of Grace of the
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...
in 1895. Upon his retirement in 1897 he was promoted to Inspector-General, and in 1900 and 1902 served as President of the Section of the Navy, Army, and Ambulance of the
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...
. He was made a
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, Mon ...
(CVO) in 1912. Ninnis was initiated into the Freemasons 1872, was a founder of several
Lodges, and in 1901 became a Past Grand Deacon of England. He was the father of
Belgrave Edward Sutton Ninnis
Belgrave Edward Sutton Ninnis (22 June 1887 – 14 December 1912) was an English officer in the Royal Fusiliers and an Antarctic explorer who was a member of Douglas Mawson's 1911 Australasian Antarctic expedition.
Antarctica, 1911–19 ...
, an explorer who was lost down a
crevasse
A crevasse is a deep crack, that forms in a glacier or ice sheet that can be a few inches across to over 40 feet. Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the shear stress generated when two semi-rigid pie ...
during the 1911–14
Australasian Antarctic Expedition
The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was a 1911–1914 expedition headed by Douglas Mawson that explored the largely uncharted Antarctic coast due south of Australia. Mawson had been inspired to lead his own venture by his experiences on Ernest ...
.
Career
Early career
Ninnis graduated from the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
as a Doctor of Medicine on 2 January 1861, and became a
Member of the Royal College of Surgeons
Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (MRCS) is a postgraduate diploma for surgeons in the UK and Ireland. Obtaining this qualification allows a doctor to become a member of one of the four surgical colleges ...
—MCRS; a professional qualification—in April of the same year.
On 1 August, he entered the
Royal Navy Medical Service, as an Assistant Surgeon, and was appointed to HMS ''Pantaloon''.
In October 1862 Ninnis was transferred to the navy's flagship
HMS ''Victory'', then moored in
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
.
He was posted aboard
HMS ''Curacoa'', assigned to the
Australian Station, in 1863.
![HMS Beatrice Adelaide 1881 AWM 302144](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/HMS_Beatrice_Adelaide_1881_AWM_302144.jpg)
In 1864, he was selected to serve as naturalist on a survey expedition to the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
of South Australia, aboard
HMS ''Beatrice''.
The expedition, under
Boyle Travers Finniss
Boyle Travers Finniss (18 August 1807 – 24 December 1893) was the first premier of South Australia, serving from 24 October 1856 to 20 August 1857.
Early life
Finniss was born at sea off the Cape of Good Hope, Southern Africa, and lived in M ...
, was charged with surveying the coast in the area of the
Adelaide River
The Adelaide River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Course and features
The river rises in the Litchfield National Park and flows generally northwards to Clarence Strait, joined by eight tributaries including the west branch ...
, with the aim of selecting a site for a future territory capital.
Together with
W. P. Auld, Ninnis was the first to survey the area to the west of the river, around what is now
Darwin.
In his role as naturalist, Ninnis collected specimens of reptiles and birds, which he presented to the South Australian Institute (later the
South Australian Museum
The South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and research institution in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856 and owned by the Government of South Australia. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultu ...
), and timber, which was donated to the
Adelaide Botanic Garden
The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a public garden at the north-east corner of the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Park Lands. It encompasses a fenced garden on North Terrace, Adelaide, North Terrace (between Lot Fourteen, the site of the old ...
.
Ninnis later reported to the Adelaide Philosophical Society on geological findings; "the coast at the Northern Territory," he said, "was generally composed of red and grey
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
, with small quantities of
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
."
Writing in the ''
South Australian Register
''The Register'', originally the ''South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register'', and later ''South Australian Register,'' was South Australia's first newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836, moved to Adelaide in 1837, and f ...
'',
George William Francis
George William Francis (1800–9 August 1865) was an English horticulturalist and science writer. He migrated to the colony of South Australia in 1849 and became the first director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden in 1860.
Life
Born in London, Fra ...
, director of the Botanic Garden, said that the 32 species of timber Ninnis had collected settled "that important question, is there timber around
he proposed capital
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
or not?"
Noting that the member of the expedition originally intended to return biological specimens to Adelaide had failed to do so, Francis wrote that "we are very much indebted to this gentleman
innis
Innis may refer to:
Places
* Innis, Louisiana, U.S.
* Innis College, University of Toronto, Canada
People Surname
* Harold Innis (1894–1952), Canadian political economy professor who wrote on communication
* Hubert Van Innis (1866–1961), Bel ...
who has thus supplied us at a time when we have failed in obtaining information through the appointed channel."
Upon the conclusion of the expedition in 1866, Ninnis received the thanks of the
Parliament of South Australia
The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the 47-seat House of Assembly ( lower house) and the 22-seat Legislative Council (upper house). General elections are ...
for his work.
His research on the expedition later formed the basis of a published work, ''Remarks on the Natural History, Meteorology, and Native Population of Northern Australia''.
British Arctic Expedition
![HMS Discovery (1874)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/HMS_Discovery_%281874%29.jpg)
Upon his return to Britain, Ninnis qualified in January 1867 for the title of Surgeon in the Royal Navy by passing examinations at the Royal College of Surgeons;
the following month he was appointed to the
Royal Naval Hospital
A Royal Naval Hospital (RNH) was a hospital operated by the British Royal Navy for the care and treatment of sick and injured naval personnel. A network of these establishments were situated across the globe to suit British interests. They were ...
in
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
, where he remained until 1869.
On 21 December 1874 he was promoted to Staff-Surgeon Second Class.
In May 1875 he was appointed to
HMS ''Discovery'', one of two ships—the other
HMS ''Alert''—which comprised the
British Arctic Expedition
The British Arctic Expedition of 1875–1876, led by Sir George Strong Nares, was sent by the British Admiralty to attempt to reach the North Pole via Smith Sound.
Although the expedition failed to reach the North Pole, the coasts of Greenland ...
, led by Captain Sir
George Nares
Vice-Admiral Sir George Strong Nares (24 April 1831 – 15 January 1915) was a Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. He commanded the ''Challenger'' Expedition, and the British Arctic Expedition. He was highly thought of as a leader an ...
.
The expedition aimed to be the first to reach the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...
, pushing north through
Smith Sound
Smith Sound ( da, Smith Sund; french: Détroit de Smith) is an uninhabited Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island. It links Baffin Bay with Kane Basin and forms part of the Nares Strait.
On the ...
, between
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...
and Greenland. The two ships made slow progress up the sound, repeatedly halted by dense
pack ice
Drift ice, also called brash ice, is sea ice that is not attached to the shoreline or any other fixed object (shoals, grounded icebergs, etc.).Leppäranta, M. 2011. The Drift of Sea Ice. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Unlike fast ice, which is "fasten ...
.
[Neatby (1966), pp. 128–129] During August of the first year, the expedition's
Greenland Dogs began to show signs of disease; the dogs experienced fits and "madness", owing, it was assumed, "to close confinement, wet decks, and want of natural exercise."
[Nares (1878), p. 94] Ninnis and Fleet-Surgeon Thomas Colon of the ''Alert'' were charged with investigating the disease.
Ninnis' report to Nares noted the disease's similarity to
rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...
, "but there is no instance recorded in Greenland of human beings who have been bitten having suffered from hydrophobia
symptom of advanced rabies and the recovery of the animals in some instances is entirely opposed to the recorded experience of true rabies."
[Nares (1878), p. 176]
On 26 August the two ships parted; ''Alert'' continued to push north while ''Discovery'' waited in reserve.
[Neatby (1966), pp. 131–132] Ninnis' biological work then extended to
horticulture
Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
. He collected wheat seeds left in the area by the
Polaris expedition four years previously, and planted them—together with mustard, cress and pea seeds—between the decks of the ''Discovery''.
[Johnston (1877), p. 42] In May of the second year they were transplanted to the shore, under glass. According to Robert Johnston, in his 1877 summary of the expedition, "This experiment succeeded very well; but, evidently, such an attempt at fancy gardening, under difficulties, could not be relied on to supply the wants of an entire ship's crew."
The expedition returned to England in October 1876, having failed to reach the pole. The gains it had made had not been without cost; three men had died from
scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...
alone. One of these deaths had occurred on a
sledging party from ''Alert'', the remaining two on ''Discovery'', from which there had been no major sledging. A Committee of Inquiry investigating the expedition determined a lack of fresh
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
juice had triggered the outbreak. Even so, fresh meat, of which there was a plentiful supply near ''Discovery'', could have staved off the disease.
[Neatby (1966), pp. 150–151] Publicly, Nares defended his surgeons, Ninnis included:
For his work on the expedition, Ninnis was awarded the
Arctic Medal, and promoted to Fleet-Surgeon.
He later published a report, ''Diseases Incidental to the Eskimo Dogs of Smith's Sound: Diagnosis and Treatment'', on his findings during the expedition.
Later career
Ninnis spent the remainder of his career working on ships and in hospitals. His surgical notes from at least part of this time survive; in November 1880, for example, while serving aboard HMS ''Garnet'', he recorded a failed attempt to revive a drowning victim, James Farley: "Brandy injected into the rectum and
strychnine
Strychnine (, , US chiefly ) is a highly toxic, colorless, bitter, crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine, when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the eye ...
at the
epigastrium
In anatomy, the epigastrium (or epigastric region) is the upper central region of the abdomen. It is located between the costal margins and the subcostal plane. Pain may be referred to the epigastrium from damage to structures derived from the f ...
he area immediately below the heart
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
brandy and ammonia to wet his mouth."
In 1879 he was awarded Sir Gilbert Blane's gold medal, an honour reserved for Royal Navy medical officers. In 1883 he received his final active promotion, to Deputy Inspector-General.
He was appointed Principal Medical Officer at Melville Naval Hospital,
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
in 1892, and three years later was selected as a Knight of Grace to the
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...
.
He retired on 1 September 1897, with an honorary promotion to
Inspector-General
An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general".
Australia
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory of ...
.
He continued to be active after his retirement from the Navy, twice serving—in 1900 and 1902—as President of the Section of the Navy, Army, and Ambulance of the
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...
.
In July 1900, serving in this capacity, he delivered an introductory address at the annual meeting of the association. In the address, while arguing that light and fresh air were important for the treatment of wounded sailors, noted that they could "only be obtained in sufficient quantity above the water-line, and to place the sick quarters above the water-line, amidst the hurly-burly of a sea fight, traversed by projectiles and wrecked by exploding shells, is of course out of the question, even supposing that sufficient space could be spared."
Instead, he argued for dedicated
hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. ...
s, which "during an action ... would keep out of range but sufficiently close to collect the wounded when the fight was over, and sailing under the regulations of the
Geneva Convention
upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864
The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conven ...
would be free from molestation or capture."
A related article by Ninnis, "The Treatment of Wounded at Sea", was published in the ''Philadelphia Medical Journal'' in August 1900, and he expanded on the idea of hospital ships in a 1905 paper to the British Medical Association.
Ninnis presented another paper at the 1908 annual meeting of the association, entitled "The Position of St. John
Ambulance Brigade as Regards Mobilization", in his capacity as Chief Commissioner
St. John Ambulance Brigade
St John Ambulance is the name of a number of affiliated organisations in different countries which teach and provide first aid and emergency medical services, and are primarily staffed by Volunteering, volunteers. The associations are overseen b ...
.
On 14 June 1912, at
St James's Palace
St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Altho ...
, he was made a
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, Mon ...
(CVO) by
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...
.
Ninnis died in
Streatham
Streatham ( ) is a district in south London, England. Centred south of Charing Cross, it lies mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, with some parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth.
Streatham was in Surrey ...
on 18 June 1922, aged 84.
He was a fellow of the
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
and the
Society of Antiquaries, and a member of the
Army and Navy Club
The Army and Navy Club in London is a private members club founded in 1837, also known informally as The Rag.[Folklore Society
The Folklore Society (FLS) is a national association in the United Kingdom for the study of folklore.
It was founded in London in 1878 to study traditional vernacular culture, including traditional music, song, dance and drama, narrative, arts an ...]
.
[Anonymous (2003), p. 149][ ] In addition to the works previously mentioned, he was the author of a published work entitled ''Statistical and Nosological Report, with Remarks on the Sanitary Condition of the Welsh Colony of Chubut, South America''.
Freemasons
Ninnis was initiated into the Freemasons in 1872. In 1901 he became a Past Grand Deacon of England, having previously been a Grand Standard Bearer of England.
[Anonymous (2003), pp. 147–148][Anonymous (2003), p. 148] He was a Founder of the Quadratic Lodge, Hampton Court; the Æsculapius Lodge, London; the Navy Lodge, London; and the Belgrave Chapter, London.
[Anonymous (2003), p. 147] He was a
Past Master (a former Worshipful Master, the senior officer of a Masonic Lodge) of the Quadratic Lodge; the Æsculapius Lodge; the Prince of Wales Lodge; the Phoenix Lodge, Jamaica; and the Pentangle Lodge, Kent.
He was a member of the Orders of
Knights Templar
, colors = White mantle with a red cross
, colors_label = Attire
, march =
, mascot = Two knights riding a single horse
, equipment ...
and the
Knights of Malta
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...
. Ninnis was a Life Governor of the
Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Care Company (RMBI Care Co.) cares for older Freemasons and their families as well as people in the wider community. Founded in 1842 by Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, they now provide a home for ...
, a Vice President of the
Royal Masonic School for Boys
The Royal Masonic School for Boys was an English independent school for boys at Bushey in Hertfordshire.
History
The origins of the school lie in the charities established in the late 18th century to clothe and educate the sons of Freemasons nea ...
, and a Vice Patron of the
Royal Masonic School for Girls.
Family
![B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/B._E._S._Ninnis.jpg)
Belgrave Ninnis was the fourth son of Paul Ninnis, originally of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
.
He was married to Ada Jane Sutton, with whom he had three sons and one daughter.
One son, Walter Melville Ninnis, died, aged 17 months, of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
, on 12 September 1886.
Ninnis was the father of
Belgrave Edward Sutton Ninnis
Belgrave Edward Sutton Ninnis (22 June 1887 – 14 December 1912) was an English officer in the Royal Fusiliers and an Antarctic explorer who was a member of Douglas Mawson's 1911 Australasian Antarctic expedition.
Antarctica, 1911–19 ...
, a Lieutenant in the
Royal Fusiliers
The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881.
The regiment served in many wars ...
and Antarctic explorer.
B. E. S. Ninnis accompanied the 1911–14
Australasian Antarctic Expedition
The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was a 1911–1914 expedition headed by Douglas Mawson that explored the largely uncharted Antarctic coast due south of Australia. Mawson had been inspired to lead his own venture by his experiences on Ernest ...
, under
Douglas Mawson
Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during ...
, as a dog handler. Along with Mawson and
Xavier Mertz
Xavier Guillaume Mertz (6 October 1882 – 8 January 1913) was a Swiss polar explorer, mountaineer, and skier who took part in the Far Eastern Party, a 1912–1913 component of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, which claimed his life. ...
, he formed the
Far Eastern Party
The Far Eastern Party was a sledging component of the 1911–1914 Australasian Antarctic expedition, which investigated the previously unexplored coastal regions of Antarctica west of Cape Adare. Led by Douglas Mawson, the party aimed to explore ...
, using
sledge dog
A sled dog is a dog trained and used to pull a land vehicle in Dog harness, harness, most commonly a Dog sled, sled over snow.
Sled dogs have been used in the Arctic for at least 8,000 years and, along with watercraft, were the only transport ...
s to explore the area around the expedition's base in
Adélie Land
Adélie Land (french: Terre Adélie, ) is a claimed territory on the continent of Antarctica. It stretches from a portion of the Southern Ocean coastline all the way inland to the South Pole. France has administered it as one of five districts ...
.
[Ayres (1999), p. 69] On 14 December 1912, B. E. S. Ninnis died when the sledge he was walking beside broke through the snow lid of a crevasse.
[Ayres (1999), pp. 72–73] When news of his death reached Australia in March 1913, several Australian newspapers—including ''
The Advertiser'', the ''
Western Argus
The ''Western Argus'' was a newspaper published in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, between 1894 and 1938.
It had three different names over time:
* ''Western Argus'', 1894-1896
* ''Kalgoorlie Western Argus'', 1896-1916
* ''Western Argus'', 1916- ...
'' and ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
''—ran biographies of Belgrave Ninnis, noting his surveying work in the Northern Territory and Arctic exploration.
When Mawson returned to Australia a year later, a
telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
was sent on behalf of the Australian people to Ninnis senior, condoling him on his "great loss, but congratulating you on your son's imperishable fame."
Ninnis replied the following day, "Grateful thanks to yourself and people of Australia for sympathetic message."
References
;Notes
;Footnotes
;Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Sir George Nares' account of the British Arctic Expedition at the Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ninnis, Belgrave
1837 births
1922 deaths
English explorers
Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
Explorers of the Arctic
Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society
Recipients of the Polar Medal
Royal Navy Medical Service officers
People of the Victorian era
19th-century Royal Navy personnel