Educational Value Statement: Mawson in Antarctica

'Mawson in Antarctica' is a magnificent collection of photographs from Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-14. The photographs depict the voyage to Antarctica, the establishment of a base at Commonwealth Bay, research activities and exploration of the region. They also suggest some of the many hardships experienced by the expeditioners as a result of the harsh climate and landscape. Most of the photographs are the work of the celebrated Australian photographer Frank Hurley.

• This picture trail shows the extraordinary challenges faced by Mawson (1852-1958) and his fellow expeditioners and suggests some of their achievements. In the images, the team travel by sea to Antarctica, establish one of their three bases and conduct research and exploration, while dealing with astonishingly harsh conditions. Mawson's organisation and leadership were highly praised. Private and government sources arranged by Mawson provided the funds.

• A sequence of photographs shows a hut and workshop being built and then the buildings in use. Establishing the base quickly was vital for the success of the Expedition and for the survival of the expeditioners in the harsh environment. The men also had to be able to work together effectively. The photographs depict the cramped cold conditions in which the men lived, socialised and worked during their three years in Antarctica.
• The Expedition completed notable research in biology, geology and meteorology and other areas. The trail includes photographs of an anemometer reading of wind velocity and scientists taking wind-velocity measurements and measuring tide levels. There are images of bacterial preparations being incubated and of containers in a low-temperature laboratory. The startling image of a meteorologist with an ice mask is evidence of the conditions the scientists endured.
• Images of the team preparing for sledging missions along the coast and for exploratory trips, both near the base and into the interior, indicate Mawson's systematic planning. The photographs show an air tractor being readied, packed sledges and a series of camps, including 'Aladdin's Cave' in which crucial supplies were stored. The 'Main base locality' map shows the topography around the base.
• Some of the images depict the disastrous journey into the interior that led to the deaths of Mawson expeditioners Belgrave Ninnis (1887-1912) in 1912 and Xavier Mertz (1883-1913) in 1913. The images taken after the journey - Mawson's half sledge, spliced shovel and improvised tent - are evidence of the ingenuity and heroic efforts that enabled him to survive. One of the final images in the trail shows a memorial cross dedicated to Mertz and Ninnis.
• Photographer Frank Hurley's artistic use of composition, perspective and framing provides a stunning record of the Expedition and the capacity of humans to live and work effectively in adverse circumstances. The awesome beauty of the hostile environment is seen in shots of a cavern, a ravine and sastrugi formed by the incessant winds.