Fact sheet 194 – Australian Antarctic exploration and research

Exploration of the Australian Antarctic Territory

Australia’s involvement in Antarctic exploration dates from as early as 1907 with participation in the British expedition of Ernest Shackleton. This was followed by the 1911 Australian Antarctic Expedition led by Douglas Mawson and the later British-Australia-New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) of 1929 to 1931. It was Mawson who took possession of Antarctic territories in the name of the Crown in 1930 and 1931. The consequent Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933 came into effect from 24 August 1936 established the area we now know as the Australian Antarctic Territory. In 1947 the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) established sub-Antarctic stations at Macquarie and Heard Islands and at Mawson on the Antarctic continent.

Antarctic research

Research by ANARE into areas such as Antarctic climate and weather and the depth of the ice shelf had been occurring since 1947. The International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957 provided a year of combined research effort on Antarctica, and the background to the Antarctic treaty of 1959, which was to maintain international cooperation and peaceful research on the continent. The treaty provided for complete freedom of scientific research in Antarctica, for conservation of wildlife and the prohibition of military activity, nuclear testing and disposal of radioactive waste.

Antarctic cooperative research includes studies in biology, botany, seismology, meteorology, upper atmosphere physics, magnetology, cosmic radiation, oceanography and glaciology. Other areas of research include tide gauge operations, radio echo-sounding to determine ice thickness, and global climate and environment change.

The Australian Antarctic Division

The principal agency with responsibility for the Commonwealth Government's Antarctic initiatives – the Australian Antarctic Division – began as a section within the Department of External Affairs in May 1948. Upgraded to a division within a month, it remained within External Affairs until 1968. Since then it has been located within departments responsible for the science/environment function. The head office of the Division has been in Hobart since 1981. In carrying out its functions the Australian Antarctic Division has worked in collaboration with a range of agencies including the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics; the former Division of National Mapping; the Bureau of Meteorology; the CSIRO and the Departments of Air and the Army.

Records relating to Antarctica

Records relating to Antarctic exploration and research are principally held by the Archives in Canberra and Hobart. These include records of Antarctic agencies, such as the Australian Antarctic Division, or agencies that have continued to have a role in Antarctic policy issues or in operational support to the Division. Examples of some of the most significant records are listed below.

Records of Antarctic agencies

Canberra – BANZARE (CA 2995)

	Photographs	1930	A2442
	Proclamations issued by Sir Douglas Mawson	1930	B1759

Hobart – Australian Antarctic Division (CA 1873)

	Seismographic recordings	1951	A3168
	Magnetogram recordings	1952	A4766

Hobart – Australian Antarctic Division (CA 1873)

Correspondence files	1947	B1370
Correspondence files	1947	P1469
Station reports and log books (includes photographs)	1947	P1556
Antarctic voyage report (includes photographs)	1947	P1557
Films of early ANARE	1947	P2371
Inventories of Antarctic stations	1949	P1691

Records of other agencies

Canberra – Prime Minister's Department (CA 12)

Correspondence files	1907–50	A461
BANZARE Expeditions	1925	AA1972/341
Correspondence files – Radio Research Board	1926–71	A9873
Radio Research Board – societies and institutions – Australian National Committee Antarctic Research	1958–63	A9873, 21
Correspondence files	1950– ongoing	A1209
International Geophysical Year – policy	1957	A1209, 1957/4941

Canberra – Department of External Affairs (CA 18)

Correspondence files	1903–1938	A1
Australian Antarctic Expedition – Douglas Mawson	1915	A1, 1915/5159
Correspondence files	1914–93	A1838
Antarctica – International Geophysical Year – general	1955–57	A1838, 1495/1/9/1, part 1
ANARE Planning Committee	1958	A1838, 1271/9
Antarctic maps and plans	1929–31	AA1964/7
Conference on the Antarctic, Washington	1959	A10728

Canberra – Department of Air, Central Office (CA 35)

Correspondence files	1935–60	A1196
Australian Antarctic Territory – exploitation and exploration of resources	1946–55	A1196, 13/501/92, part 1
Australian Antarctic Territory – exploitation and exploration of resources	1946–55	A1196, 13/501/92, part 2
Australian Antarctic Territory – exploitation and exploration of resources	1946–55	A1196, 13/501/92, part 3
Correspondence files	1951–63	A11301
Equipment for Antarctic Flight – supply and demand	1955–56	A11301, 2001/1/EQ

For more information

You can obtain more information about the record series listed above (and the items within the series) from RecordSearch, the Archives database. Follow the links in the series lists to go directly to information on that series. Searches for items or photographs using keyword terms such as 'Antarctic', Antarctica', 'ANARE', and 'BANZARE' will identify further information relating to Antarctic exploration and research. You can also use RecordSearch to find out about the agencies that created the records and to locate more records on your subject. You might also explore PhotoSearch to find out if there are photos pertaining to your subject.

RecordSearch and PhotoSearch are available online or in all Archives reading rooms. Reference staff are available in the reading rooms to help you, or email ref@naa.gov.au.

Fact sheets