History

Tasmania has a proud and enduring heritage of supporting Antarctic and Southern Ocean endeavour and has developed strong historical links to the Antarctic through its geographic location.

Tasmania has taken advantage of its association with Antarctica and built a reputation as being a centre of excellence for Antarctic and Southern Ocean science and research through the establishment of numerous research agencies and educational institutions, which now house the largest collection of cold-climate scientists and experts in the world.

Read the stories of some of people working and studying in Tasmania’s Antarctic sector, or learn more about the importance of the Antarctic sector to Tasmania.

The connection between Tasmania and Antarctica has remained firm, becoming stronger overtime with the establishment of a large and versatile Antarctic and Southern Ocean industry throughout Tasmania. To learn more about what current Tasmanians are doing in Antarctica, visit our Tasmanian stories from Antarctic webpage.

Tasmania’s geological link with Antarctica

There is an ever-present natural link between Antarctica and Tasmania due to the proximity of the two land masses. Geologists have shown that Tasmania, as part of Gondwana, was once wedged between North America and Antarctica. Gondwana incorporated Antarctica as well as South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. Despite having drifted away from Antarctica over time, the southern tip of Tasmania, Cockle Creek, is still closer in distance to Antarctica than it is to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The proximity between the two land masses creates this natural link between Tasmania and Antarctica, however it is the long history of explorers who have utilised Hobart as a base for their expeditions that ensured Antarctica would become deeply entrenched in the Tasmanian identity.

Tasmania’s historic connection with Antarctica

Tasmania’s Antarctic connections date back to 1773 when the English mariner, Tobias Furneaux, sailed the ship Adventure into a bay on Bruny Island. Thirty years later in 1803 the English established the first permanent European settlement on the Derwent and Hobart Town was soon a haven for whalers and sealers working in the Southern Ocean, who would rely on Hobart as a port, due to the deep waters of the estuary.

One sealer, John Briscoe, reprovisioned his ships in Hobart in 1831 during a successful circumnavigation of Antarctica. During the voyage Briscoe discovered Enderby Land where Australia’s Mawson station was later established.  Assisting Biscoe on his expedition was James Weddell who would later discover the Weddell Sea in 1833.

Following Briscoe, from the mid-19^th century onwards, famous explorers such as Jules Dumont d’Urville, James Clark Ross, Carsten Borchgrevink and Roald Amundsen would utilise the port of Hobart, relying on the skilled expertise of local Tasmanians to support their expeditions, both to and from Antarctica. This era, to the end of World War I, is known as the Heroic Era because of the adverse conditions that explorers encountered with very few resources to withstand them.

Hobart’s connection with French Antarctic expeditioners began in 1839 when Dumonte D’Urville, who had left France in 1837 on the original L’ Astrolabe and LaZelee, reached Hobart. By then his crew were impacted by tropical fevers and dysentery after crossing the Pacific. His expedition sailed into Hobart with sick and dying aboard. Governor Sir John Franklin welcomed the French and D’Urville was able to recruit replacement crew in Hobart. A French memorial to the expeditioners stands in Cornelian Bay Cemetery.

In 1898 Tasmanian, Louis Bernacchi, a Tasmanian physicist, joined the British Antarctic expedition to Cape Adare led by Carsten Borchgrevink (a Norwegian resident in Australia). This was the first expedition to winter ashore, returning to Hobart in 1900.  The Expeditioners were warmly welcomed, feted and celebrated by Hobart society.   This tradition continues today, and you will see the names of many Antarctic explorers on landmarks in Hobart and Tasmania.

Tasmania’s 20^th century Antarctic history

1901 – 1904: Robert Falcon Scott Expedition in Discovery

Louis Bernacchi joined Scott’s first expedition as physicist, helping to stimulate Tasmania’s fascination with Antarctica.

1910 – 1912: Race to the South Pole between Norwegian Roald Amundsen and Scott

Amundsen’s party reached the South Pole on 14 December 1911, returning via Hobart on 8 March 1912.  Their vessel, Fram, anchored off Sandy Bay for several days while Amundsen fulfilled his obligations to financiers before breaking the news.

1911 – 1914: Australian Antarctic Expedition led by Douglas Mawson in Aurora.

By the time of Douglas Mawson’s 1911-14 Antarctic Expedition, Hobart was already a well- established departure point. Mawson had previously served as geologist in Shackleton’s 1907 expedition aboard Nimrod.

1930: Mawson leads the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) on Discovery.

During this expedition, Discovery was refitted in Hobart before the second part of the voyage.  Mawson then visited Macquarie Island which led him to lobby against the cruel actions of the sealers within the region, leading to the Tasmanian government proclaiming Macquarie Island as a sanctuary for wildlife in 1933.

1947 – 1948: Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) established.

Mawson was also instrumental in the development of ANARE which was officially created in 1947, to further establish and cement Australia’s presence within the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT).

1948 -49:  the French connection with Antarctica develops.

In 1948 ship Commander Charcot arrived in Hobart before sailing south to establish an Antarctic base. Antarctic ice made the coast of Terre Adelie impenetrable, but they returned in 1949 to successfully establish a station at Port Martin. Eleven men wintered in Antarctica during 1950, and in that year Commander Charcot arrived again in Hobart carrying a relief team. The French also came to celebrate the Dumont D’Urville discovery of Terre Adelie and Tasmania’s part in the success. The French program has been using Hobart for its summer resupply base since 1948.

1959: signing of the Antarctic Treaty.

On 1 December 1959, along with the six other claimant nations (Argentina, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom) and five non-claimant nations, Australia signed the Antarctic Treaty. The Antarctic Treaty forms the basis for the Antarctic Treaty System. The Antarctic Treaty System has remained in place for the past six decades, governing all aspects of Antarctica, to ensure it remains a peaceful place for scientific investigation and cooperation. The Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty, such as Australia, attend Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCMs), along with other delegates and representative bodies, including Antarctic Tasmania.

1981: Australian Antarctic Division transferred from Melbourne to Hobart, located at Kingston.

The Australian Antarctic Division headquarters were established at Kingston, on the southern outskirts of greater Hobart, in 1981.

There was some initial angst surrounding the move from the existing AAD workforce, however ultimately the move brought together the Australian Antarctic research efforts and cemented Hobart as an Antarctic gateway city. The AAD supports the logistics and transport for Australia’s Antarctic program vessels, including the new Australian icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina.

With the establishment of the AAD headquarters in Hobart , Tasmania’s reputation as a centre of excellence in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science and research began to gather significant momentum.

1982 The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) established its permanent secretariat in Hobart.

CCAMLR is an agreement under the Antarctic Treaty System. The establishment of CCAMLR secretariat in Hobart solidifies Hobart’s growing reputation for Marine Science.

1985: The CSIRO Marine laboratories occupied their site on the Hobart waterfront.

1988: Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies established at UTAS.

1990: Australia’s ice breaker Aurora Australis, left on her maiden voyage from Hobart on 9 October.

The Aurora Australis was built in Newcastle New South Wales and launched on 18 September 1989. It was operated by P&O Maritime for the Australian Antarctic Division.

1993: Establishment of the Tasmanian Government’s Office of Antarctic Affairs and the Tasmanian Polar Network. The Office of Antarctic Affairs established the State Government’s role as an advocate and partner in the Antarctic sector.

2003: Office of Antarctic Affairs changed its name to Antarctic Tasmania.

2004: The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) came into force and the secretariat established in Hobart.

2006: Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) established.

2010: Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies was established.

2010: Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) established.

2014: Memorandum of Understanding between the French and Tasmanian Governments

The cooperation between the French Antarctic Program through the Institute Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV) and Tasmanian Government, to facilitate logistics for the French Antarctic resupply over the Antarctic summer, is recognised in a memorandum of understanding first signed in 2014 and renewed in 2019.

2020: Aurora Australis makes final voyage to Hobart as home berth.

On 10 March 2020 Aurora Australis completed her last resupply to Macquarie Island and departed on her final voyage to Hobart. Over three decadesshe had carried more than 14,000 expeditioners and over 150 scientific, research and resupply voyages to Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations and was affectionately known by those who sailed on her, as the ‘Orange Roughy’.

2021: RSV Nuyina arrives in Hobart.

RSV Nuyina is the Australian Antarctic Division’s flagship icebreaker, replacing the Aurora Australis. Nuyina arrived  in Hobart on 16 October 2021. Nuyina means Southern Lights in Palawa Kani, the language of the indigenous Tasmanians. The vessel was designed by ship builder Damen and constructed the Romanian shipyard of Galati. Final fit out was carried out in Vlissengen, Netherlands. Serco Australia is the ship operator.

2020 – 2021 Pandemic support

When international borders were closed in 2020, Antarctic Tasmania headed a working group to enable the Antarctic programs transiting through Hobart to Antarctica to enter Australia and meet the stringent quarantine requirements for Antarctic stations.