The First Chilean Antarctic Expedition (1947–1948) was an expedition to

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

mounted by the Chilean government and military to enforce its territorial claims against British challenges, namely

Operation Tabarin Operation Tabarin was the code name for a secret British expedition to the Antarctic during World War Two, operational 1943–46. Conducted by the Admiralty on behalf of the Colonial Office, its primary objective was to strengthen British claims ...

. Among other accomplishments the expedition established

Base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme Base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, also Base Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, or shortly Bernardo O'Higgins, named after Bernardo O'Higgins, is a permanently staffed Chilean research station in Antarctica and the capital of ...

on February 18, 1948. Chilean President

Gabriel González Videla Gabriel Enrique González Videla (; 22 November 1898 – 22 August 1980) was a Chilean politician and lawyer who served as the 24th president of Chile from 1946 to 1952. He had previously been a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1930 ...

personally inaugurated the base, thereby becoming the first head of state to set foot on the continent. The inactive research station

González Videla Antarctic Base González Videla Base is an inactive research station on the Antarctic mainland at Waterboat Point in Paradise Harbor, Paradise Bay. It is named after Chilean President Gabriel González Videla, who in the 1940s became the first chief of state of ...

is named in his honor. The O'Higgins Base is still operated by the

Chilean Army The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade. In recent years, and after sever ...

, one of the Antarctic bases with the longest times of continuous operation. The expedition was led by Commodore Federico Guesalaga Toro.Exploring Polar Frontiers: A Historical Encyclopedia, Volume 1, by William J. Mills, page 141 The German-Chilean Hans Helfritz served as the expedition's official photographer.

Features named by the expedition

* Ferrer Rocks, named after Lieutenant Fernando Ferrer Fouga, hydrographic officer

References

{{Chilean Antarctica Science and technology in Chile Scientific organisations based in Chile Chilean Antarctic Territory Antarctic expeditions Chile and the Antarctic 1947 in Chile