Nelle "Nel" Isabel Law (1914–1990) was an Australian artist, poet and diarist. As the wife of the scientist and explorer

Phillip Law Phillip Garth Law, AC, CBE, FAA, FTSE (21 April 1912 – 28 February 2010) was an Australian scientist and explorer who served as director of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) from 1949 to 1966. Early life Law was ...

, she was the first Australian woman to set foot in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

when she travelled with her husband to the

Mawson Station The Mawson Station, commonly called Mawson, is one of three permanent bases and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Mawson lies in Holme Bay in Mac. Robertson Land, East Antarctica in the Austra ...

in 1960–61.

Biography

Law met her husband at

Melbourne University The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

. They were married for over 40 years but decided not to have children as her husband's career would make it difficult for him to be a good father . When Phil Law decided to take her to Antarctica, he had her smuggled onto the ship in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. There were heated discussions before the ship set off but it was finally decided that if Nel Law was escorted off the ship, it would create too much negative publicity. In fact, quite the opposite occurred when she remained on board as this led to fantastic publicity for Phil and ANARE (

Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE ) is the historical name for the Australian Antarctic Program (AAp) administered for Australia by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). History Australia has had a long involv ...

). Law, a talented artist, produced a number of oils, water colours and sketches while she was at the base. She had been appointed to make graphic records by ANARE. She had accompanied her husband on the ''Magga Dan''. Her work developed from somewhat

Expressionistic Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

landscapes to far more abstract works, even when she was painting penguins. In 2005–06, a collection of her drawings was presented by the

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is a museum located in Hobart, Tasmania. The museum was established in 1846, by the Royal Society of Tasmania, the oldest Royal Society outside England. The TMAG receives 400,000 visitors annually. ...

who also hold some of her paintings in their permanent collection. In 1965, Law founded the Antarctic Wives Association of Australia, later known as the Antarctic Family and Friends Association. She was the association's first president and later patron. Now part of the ANARE Club, the association was intended to provide a social link and support for the wives of expeditioners. The

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

holds a large collection of Law's works which include correspondence, news clippings, poems, sketches and diaries. Her diaries contain drafts of her ''Breaking New Ice: Australia's First Woman To Visit Antarctica'' which had been prepared for publication. The Danish-built icebreaker MV ''Nella Dan'' which served Australia's Antarctic programme was named in her honour. Nel Law died in June 1990. Her ashes, together with those of her husband Phillip, were interred near the

, Antarctica, on 19 June 2011.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Law, Nel 1914 births 1990 deaths People from Melbourne Australian artists Australian women artists Australian women writers Australian writers Women Antarctic scientists