Bust of Sir Douglas Mawson at the University of Adelaide
Much is known in this country ~ the UK ~ about Captain Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton and their famous expeditions. Douglas Mawson also played an important role in discoveries in the antarctic. In what is known as 'The Heroic Age of Exploration' Mawson's achievements have been eclipsed by those of his many contempories.
Shackleton lead the 'Nimrod Expedition' ~ 1907-1909. Mawson was a member of the shore party. He and his group also trekked overland, and they were the first to arrive at the South Magnetic Pole ~ one of the two places in Earth where a magnetic compass stops working.
Although invited to join Scott's Brtitish Antarctic Expedition ~ 1910-1913 ~ the 'Terra Nova' ~ Mawson set off on his own 'Aurora' expedition (with similar dates). This ~ also known as The Australasian Antarctic Expedition ~ undertook mapping and scientific research. Mawson's role as leader ~ and his geological expertise ~ were recognized with a knighthood.
Born in Yorkshire, Mawson was brought up for all his life in Australia. He later served for the British forces during the Great War, and was leader of another expedition to Antarctica from 1929-1930. In Mawson's latter years he worked as Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the University of Adelaide. Numerous streets and buildings in Australia are named after him, as is a suburb of Canberra. His portrait features on numerous commemorative stamps.
