Mawson's Huts are a collection of buildings located at

Cape Denison Cape Denison is a rocky point at the head of Commonwealth Bay in George V Land, Antarctica. It was discovered in 1912 by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–14) under Douglas Mawson, who named it for Sir Hugh Denison of Sydney, a patro ...

, in the far eastern sector of the

Australian Antarctic Territory The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is a part of East Antarctica claimed by Australia as an external territory. It is administered by the Australian Antarctic Division, an agency of the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the E ...

, some 3000 km south of

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

. The huts were erected and occupied by members of the

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 ...

(AAE) of 1911–1914, led by

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

and explorer Sir

Douglas Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was a British-born Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during ...

. Mawson's Huts are rare as one of just six surviving sites from the

Heroic Era of Antarctic exploration The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration was an era in the exploration of the continent of Antarctica which began at the end of the 19th century, and ended after the First World War; the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition of 1921–1922 is often cit ...

. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was the only such one during the Heroic Era organised, manned and supported primarily by Australians. The huts included a magnetograph hut, used to measure variations in the south magnetic pole; an absolute magnetic hut, which was used as a reference point for studies in the magnetograph hut; and the transit hut, an astronomical observatory. The most important building at the site is the winter living quarters, known as "Mawson's Hut". This pyramid-roofed hut was home to the eighteen men of the AAE main base party in 1912, and the seven (including Douglas Mawson) who stayed on for an unplanned second year in 1913. The hut combines two sections - the living quarters and the workshop, prefabricated in Sydney and Melbourne respectively, and shipped to the site for construction in 1912 by the AAE team.

Radio

Using a wireless relay station on

Macquarie Island Macquarie Island is a subantarctic island in the south-western Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. It has been governed as a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1880. It became a Protected areas of Tasmania, Tasmania ...

, it was possible to contact the Australian mainland by radio. The AAE was the first expedition that had this possibility. Meteorological observations were transmitted by the system continuously. It was the first use of radio on the Antarctic continent.

The main hut

The main hut included facilities for eighteen men but it only measured , an area of . The adjoining workshop measured , an area of . On three sides the building is surrounded with wide verandas. The Verandas were used for many different things including housing the sled dogs. The main hut contains a kitchen, a laundry, a storage and a sleeping room.

Conservation and heritage recognition

Expeditions undertaken by the Australian government (through the Australian Antarctic Division since the late 1970s) and private non-profit conservation organisations (notably the two Project Blizzard expeditions of 1984/85 and 1985/86, and the Mawson's Huts Foundation since 1997) have carried out conservation research, surveys and work on the huts. In addition to archaeological recording, removal of snow from inside the huts and ongoing maintenance, recent interventions (1998 and 2006) have been to encapsulate the failing timber roofs with new timber over-cladding in order to weatherproof the interiors. The site is recognised under the Antarctic Treaty as a Historic Site & Monument (HSM 77) since 1972, and placed within an

Antarctic Specially Protected Area An Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) is an area on the continent of Antarctica, or on nearby islands, which is protected by scientists and several different international bodies. The protected areas were established in 1961 under the Antarc ...

(ASPA 162) and an

Antarctic Specially Managed Area An Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA) is a protected area on the continent of Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by t ...

(ASMA 3) in 2004. It is also on the

Australian National Heritage List The Australian National Heritage List or National Heritage List (NHL) is a heritage register, a list of National heritage site, national heritage places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia, established in 2003. The li ...

Commonwealth Heritage List The Commonwealth Heritage List is a heritage register established in 2003, which lists places under the control of the Australian government, on land or in waters directly owned by the Crown (in Australia, the Crown in right of the Commonwealt ...

and the defunct

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...

. The Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Minister for the Environment & Water Resources released for public comment a new management plan for the Mawson's Huts Historic Site in July 2007. The plan set out the principles that guided activities to preserve the heritage values of the site in the lead-up to the centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

Travel to Mawson's Huts

Chimu Adventures operate a voyage to Mawson's Huts every year from Hobart, Tasmania. The voyages generally stop at Macquarie Island en route and return via the New Zealand Subantarctic islands.

Replica Hut

A replica of Mawson's Hut at Cape Denison was constructed in downtown Hobart in 2013. The replica hut was built as part of an ongoing effort to raise funds for conservation work at Cape Denison. The replica hut also helps educate visitors about Douglas Mawson and the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

References

Resources

* Australian Antarctic Division (2007 ''Mawson's Huts Historic Site Management Plan 2007-2012''. * Mackay, R (2005) 'Ice, icon and identity: the meaning of Mawson's huts'. In Lydon, J & Ireland, T (eds) ''Object Lessons: Archaeology & Heritage in Australia''. * Mawson, D (1915) ''Home of the Blizzard: being the story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914''. * Pearson, M (1992). 'Expedition huts in Antarctica: 1899-1917'. ''

Polar Record ''Polar Record'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of Arctic and Antarctic exploration and research. It is managed by the Scott Polar Research Institute and published by Cambridge University Press. The journal was ...

28'', 167: 261-276.

External links

Australian National Heritage listing for Mawson's Huts and Mawson's Huts Historic Site

Home of the Blizzard — the Australasian Antarctic Expedition

The Mawson's Huts Foundation

"Frozen in Time" fulldome planetarium show about Mawson's Huts

"Frozen in Time" fulldome planetarium show about Mawson's Huts - online video
{{Authority control Australian Antarctic Territory Science and technology in Australia Science and technology in Antarctica Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration Buildings and structures completed in 1912 Australian National Heritage List Australasian Antarctic Expedition George V Land Antarctic Specially Protected Areas Historic buildings and structures in Antarctica 1912 establishments in Antarctica Australian Antarctic Territory places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate History of science and technology in Australia